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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26613586">love me back to life</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/daskey/pseuds/daskey'>daskey</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supergirl (TV 2015)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Cheesy Vampire Tropes, F/F, Fluff and Humor, a small amount of smut hence the mature rating, soft reigncorp, you'll get it when you read it</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:21:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>25,526</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26613586</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/daskey/pseuds/daskey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"I'm definitely hallucinating. I've been working too long. Vampires don't exist. Am I hallucinating?" <br/>Lena does not know how to react. "Yes... you're hallucinating." she says, glancing from side to side. She quickly wipes at her mouth with a hand. <br/>The woman's eyes roll back into her head, and she promptly passes out. </p><p>That is how Lena Luthor meets Samantha Arias. </p><p>-<br/>a.k.a The one where they meet, fall in love, and discover that they're soulmates. Oh, and Lena's also a vampire.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Samantha "Sam" Arias/Lena Luthor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>190</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>love me back to life</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>i'm a nerd so i've given each sort of "mini-chapter" or movement a title in bold. you can use these to keep track of where you are (if reading 20k in one go isn't for you). just ctrl + f to the number you were last at and you should see it</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <ol>
<li><b> The case of Lena Luthor, the introverted vampire </b></li>
</ol><p>
  <span>"I've lived for about two centuries, and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>still </span>
  </em>
  <span>cannot understand why people are so focused on living a life that others would be envious of. Is it not enough to simply live a good life? To enjoy oneself? The human life is so short, so fleeting. It seems like a fucking waste of time to be so focused on such inconsequential things." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's oppressively dark in Lena's lab, but slivers of light sneak in through the gaps in the blinds. Andrea doesn't open them though, she's learned her lesson from the last time she made that mistake. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There's a clatter, and a muffled curse before wheels roll against the floor and Lena comes sliding through to the next table over without standing up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're focused on something," Andrea points out, and Lena rolls her eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lex's old notes on vampirism," Lena scoffs out a laugh. "He was an idiot back in the 1870s, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>some </span>
  </em>
  <span>of this could be useful." Lena's hair is piled up on her head, Andrea can see the pale skin of her neck and the twin puncture marks long healed when she lowers her gaze to pore over the notes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She can't deny that she's curious. However, Lena's expecting that, and she closes the weathered leather notebook with an audible </span>
  <em>
    <span>thump</span>
  </em>
  <span> once Andrea ghosts over to sneak a glance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I think you've overstayed your welcome." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Andrea heaves a sigh, and her hand moves to rest on Lena's shoulder, "Lena I'm worried about you. I just want to know </span>
  <em>
    <span>why </span>
  </em>
  <span>you've holed yourself up in here-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You gave up the right to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>worried</span>
  </em>
  <span> when you stabbed me in the back-" Lena growls, and she stands up so abruptly that dark smoke starts to curl over Andrea's arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They are both creatures of darkness, that much is evident in the way that the shadows hug around Andrea's form, and the way that Lena's piercing green eyes seem to glow with malice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If Andrea's voice shakes, and her eyes well up with tears then- well. It's instinctive. "I'm hosting a fundraiser. I was thinking you might want to be invited, since a few people from LuthorCorp will be attending too." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't want to go and bother myself with the vapid creatures that you call </span>
  <em>
    <span>friends,"</span>
  </em>
  <span> Lena spits, but the feral tint to her eyes fades to be replaced with exhaustion, sharp canines receding to something almost human. "But who am I to deny an invitation," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Those tears and the pleading look fall from Andrea's face like a mask, and she tosses an invitation on Lena's desk. It lands on the cover of Lex's journal, and Lena can't help but feel like she's been played. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena doesn't want to go, but she's been </span>
  <em>
    <span>invited</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And of course, the whole thing about vampires and invitations was </span>
  <em>
    <span>mostly </span>
  </em>
  <span>untrue, but Lena's self loathing was just as effective as an invisible barrier, keeping her from places where she was not wanted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she gets dressed up, and shows up to the gala on time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It would be easy to get in without an invitation. She's dressed well enough that nobody would give her a second glance amongst the wealthy socialites and businesspeople who swarm the uppermost level of the second tallest building in the city. She lets her eyes wander the crowd, and is nearly overwhelmed by the scents filling her nose. Obnoxiously heavy handed applications of perfume that burn her delicate senses. The chalky smell of drugs and the unappealing melange of food and alcohol on people's breath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Contrary to popular belief, Lena wasn't smelling blood and going into a frenzy. She was </span>
  <em>
    <span>selective</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She had standards, just like people did with the type of food they consumed. It didn't stop Andrea from sliding a glass of 'wine' into her hands with a sly little smirk - always so pleased with herself - as she let a hand wander down the back of Lena's dress. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You clean up nice," she purrs, and Lena rolls her eyes at the obvious attempt at seduction. It's not as much for her benefit, as it is for those around her. The spotlight is now on Lena (not like it hadn't been, she isn't too far gone in her self loathing to believe that she isn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>attractive</span>
  </em>
  <span>), the mysterious woman who had the attention of the hostess.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sips the 'wine', it's a dull, tepid mixture. She lets it wash around her mouth, a futile attempt at getting it to temperature but her mouth is colder than the room. Still, she's not one to turn down what was obviously a rather difficult thing to come by, and she gives Andrea a tight-lipped smile of thanks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You'll save a dance for your old friend?" Andrea asks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena rolls her eyes. "I don't trust you not to tread on my toes." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Andrea is whisked away not a moment later by a gentleman wearing enough hairspray to be a fire hazard. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena finds herself a spot to people-watch and assumes she'll spend a great deal of time here. Part of the night passes without much incident. She finds out who some of the people working for her are, and they are pleasantly surprised to know that the young Luthor heiress is 1. Real, and 2. Not a complete jerk like her brother. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But of course, Lena </span>
  <em>
    <span>rarely </span>
  </em>
  <span>has a calm night out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She locks eyes with a man watching her. His eyes don't seem to stray from her at all, so intent is his focus. And this isn't the gaze of an admirer, no. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena downs the swill in her glass, picks up her clutch, and starts to walk towards the elevator to head down the building. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man follows. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She doesn't go to ground level. She thinks she's smart, stopping at level 32. She gives him a polite smile, and makes to step out of the elevator. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She doesn't look back, and walks with intent. It's an office level, there's not much there of interest, and it appears they are alone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So she turns around and lunges at the vampire hunter and hears the wooden stake (by far the </span>
  <em>
    <span>least </span>
  </em>
  <span>imaginative weapon she's ever been faced with this decade) tumble from his hands. She lets instinct take over, and sinks her fangs into his neck, listens to his cries fade into a throaty gurgle and relishes in the heated rush that flows through her body as hot blood splashes against her tongue. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's only after he's stopped moving that she hears a woman's voice, cursing rapidly as she scurries out of one of the office cubicles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rational part of Lena's brain starts to panic, and she fights the instinct to freeze in place. She looks over her shoulder and locks eyes with a lanky brunette, whose hazel eyes are filled with fear and confusion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm definitely hallucinating. I've been working too long. Vampires don't exist. Am I hallucinating?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena does not know how to react. "Yes... you're hallucinating." she says, glancing from side to side. She quickly wipes at her mouth with a hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman's eyes roll back into her head, and she promptly passes out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That is how Lena Luthor meets Samantha Arias. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><ol>
<li><b> Lena Luthor, vampire and CEO, is best friends with Samantha Arias, soccer mom and CFO. </b></li>
</ol><p>
  <span>Three years later, and Sam is what Lena would consider one of her best friends. LuthorCorp is now L Corp, and is now in National City. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Moving to a city with a lot more sunshine was a gamble. On the one hand, it makes wandering outside during the daylight hours all but impossible. The sunlight reflects off glass buildings, and Lena can sometimes smell smoke even when she's in the shade. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the other hand, she hasn't encountered as many hunters here as she did in Metropolis. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, and she has friends now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Sam is coming to National City to work with her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Things have been changing for Lena. She has brunch with her best friend Kara to talk about some of those changes. Not all, of course. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She and Kara don't talk about their true nature. She's never had a friend like this before, where they both pretend they don't see the obvious. Kara pretends like she isn't an alien, and Lena pretends like she isn't a vampire. They go to brunch and Lena orders food that Kara eventually eats along with her own very generous helping and they never mention any of it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's a strange custom but not an unwelcome one. Interacting with people has slowly but surely replaced the monotony of amassing all the knowledge she was able to find on vampirism into a compendium that she- she didn't know what she was going to do with it but it was something she'd been doing to pass the time. Cause that's what she has. Time. Plenty of it, in fact. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Too much of it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kara inhales all of the fries on her plate, not taking even a second to savour any of them. Lena pretends like she doesn't notice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you very busy today?" she asks her friend, who looks at her with bulging cheeks like a chipmunk before she swallows heavily and swabs at her mouth with a hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I've got to work on that article for Snapper, and maybe get some photos with James later. It's a little bit hectic, is there something you had in mind?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I think you might like to meet my CFO. Perhaps if this is too busy of a time, I can schedule some other day-" Kara doesn't seem that interested, and Lena doesn't know how to express that this is something that she cares a lot about. She toys at the edge of a sugar packet with her fingers. "She's a dear friend of mine. I was thinking-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hears Kara gasp, and glances up to see her blue eyes wide, as is her grin. "Of course! I'd love to meet her!" </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Good</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Lena smiles. She wants them to get along, they both mean a lot to her for different reasons. She's also </span>
  <em>
    <span>missed </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sam, and doesn't want Kara feeling left out or neglected if she ends up spending a lot of time with her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She will ponder those feelings later, late at night. Because she doesn't sleep. So that means more hours in the day, more </span>
  <em>
    <span>time</span>
  </em>
  <span> to </span>
  <em>
    <span>think </span>
  </em>
  <span>about things. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam shows up the next day. She hugs Lena so tight and so warm and nearly lifts her off the ground in a way that has Lena breathless, and the cold dead heart inside her chest nearly feels warm with the </span>
  <em>
    <span>longing. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam fits back into her life like she's never left. She wanders into her office at lunchtime with her lunch, claiming Lena needs a break and they sit on the sofa in Lena's office as Sam peels a clementine. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The citrusy smell isn't as repulsive as food often is. It's- </span>
  <em>
    <span>strange</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but she chalks it up to it being because it's all mixed up with the smell of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sam. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena </span>
  <em>
    <span>wants. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She'd forgotten about... </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span>, about these feelings of wanting Sam. It had pulled back, like the ocean before a tidal wave, and she'd been so focused on the </span>
  <em>
    <span>absence</span>
  </em>
  <span> that she wasn't prepared for the onslaught that drowns her with Sam's return. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What are you doing tonight?" Lena asks, and her voice sounds breathless to her own ears. Sam's smile is warm, as warm as she imagines sunlight to be, and she angles herself towards Lena. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Nothing. Are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>inviting </span>
  </em>
  <span>yourself over?" Sam teases, and Lena gives her a withering glare. It has no effect on Sam's cheeky smile, as she pops another segment of clementine into her mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Perhaps," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It would be pizza night," Sam muses as she glances at her watch. "I guess we'll have to make something without garlic." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena rolls her eyes, pretending to be unamused but this casual joking is... nice. It's a relief, to laugh for once about herself and her nature. "You can eat garlic, if you'd like." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam's playfulness fades, and Lena tilts her head at the sudden shift in mood, not picking up on what is going on until a hand rests on her knee. Sam's hand </span>
  <em>
    <span>burns </span>
  </em>
  <span>on her frigid skin, she can feel the little flutter of her pulse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I wouldn't want to give you an allergic reaction if I kissed you." </span>
</p><ol>
<li><b> Awkward first dates.</b></li>
</ol><p>
  <span>Adjusting to National City after years thriving in the border between Gotham and Metropolis is a lot more difficult than Lena had expected. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The streets are wide here, wide streets means the shadows from nearby buildings is a lot less. And unlike Metropolis and Gotham, the twin cities that both seem to have been built nearly a century ago - the windows here are not coated in a layer of built-up grime. So the sun often reflects off of the windows, even on days that are meant to be rather overcast. It makes Lena's skin prickle and burn and she hates how she has to spend the next handful of days inside, depleting her stockpiles of sour refrigerated blood. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sunlight is oppressive and distasteful, but Lena has </span>
  <em>
    <span>friends </span>
  </em>
  <span>now. And she has Sam. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So things are maybe not all bad here in National City. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam understands. She invites Lena out at night. Sometimes, they will all hang out together - her, Sam, and Ruby - and go and get take out at a place of Ruby's choosing. She doesn't need to eat, but she doesn't mind indulging them by taking a few bites of whatever it is they're so excited about. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She's not so sure why the taste of food doesn't make her gag anymore. Perhaps it's simply the atmosphere, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>enjoys </span>
  </em>
  <span>hanging out with Sam and her daughter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The significance isn't lost on Lena. Despite her vampiric nature, Sam trusts her around her daughter, enough to invite her to her home (and she makes sure to make the invitations explicit each time, even though she only really needed to do so once). </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That's what makes it odd when one day, Sam invites her out for dinner, and Lena goes to the trendy upmarket tapas bar to find Sam in a suit, sitting at a table by herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena glances at the "Welcome" sign at the door as she pushes her way in, and wonders if Sam had spent her time reading the signs on several restaurant doors to make sure that Lena wouldn't be stuck standing in the doorway of the one she chose (it had only happened one time, and Sam had never forgotten it). </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam sits alone, with her back ramrod straight at a small bar table. All Lena can really focus on is how </span>
  <em>
    <span>tall </span>
  </em>
  <span>she is, those long legs almost reaching the ground, pressed pants ending at slender ankles. She tries not to focus too much on her </span>
  <em>
    <span>friend- </span>
  </em>
  <span>because that is what she is. A friend. Nothing more. She shouldn't get ahead of herself-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam's smile is always dazzlingly bright, mind-numbingly gorgeous. Lena's thoughts trail to a stop when Sam turns to look at her, and she has to allocate extra brain effort to get herself to move over to the handsome woman sitting alone, sipping an outlandishly colourful cocktail. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You made it!" Sam cheers, and Lena smiles, gesturing beside Sam. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her voice feels croaky, unsteady as she speaks - "I did indeed," and then inquires, "No Ruby?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"She's got friends now, she's at a sleepover," Sam adjusts her tie, and Lena watches her clear her throat, "I know I'm not as funny, but I hope I'm enough to entertain you for the night." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There's an unintended innuendo there, and Lena intends on letting it slide but then the whole situation dawns on her as the music behind them picks up again, and she notices the dim lights, the bar, the entire atmosphere of the bar that they're in right now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This feels a lot like-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sam, is this a </span>
  <em>
    <span>date?" </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She doesn't mean for the question to startle Sam, but it does. Sam bursts into nervous laughter, scratching the back of her neck and leaning back a little in her chair, glancing around the room- and all of that is proof enough. "I don't know- do you want it to be?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena doesn't have a heartbeat, but if she did, it would probably start to speed up. She can feel herself smiling already, and when Sam finally looks back at her again, she watches Sam's expression fill with thinly veiled hope. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You want it to be?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes," Lena says, and watches as a genuine grin spreads across Sam's face. She glances at the bar, and scoffs under her breath. "But I'd rather we drink at my place, so that I can actually-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam's eyebrows raise and she shakes her head. "Oh, yeah." She drops a generous amount of notes on the counter, and starts to stand up. "Lead the way?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her date- </span>
  <em>
    <span>date</span>
  </em>
  <span>, (date!) is a lot less nervous now, and she holds out an arm for Lena in a gesture that makes her laugh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena likes the night in National City. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For all it's activity during the day, the night seems relatively calm in comparison. Like the denizens burn themselves out during the generous daylight hours, and don't have energy for much once the sun has set. That doesn't mean that the night scene is devoid of life, but it does mean that for Lena, she can go relatively unaccosted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They wander past the waterfront. The night is dark, and the orange glow of streetlights are few and far between in the park areas but the city's decision to put fairy lights between the trunks of trees makes it all feel just that tiny bit... </span>
  <em>
    <span>magical. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>They talk about everything and nothing as they make their way towards Lena's penthouse. Sam's dropped Lena's arm to instead hold her hand, and Lena's senses all seem to be tuned into where their skin meets. Warmth radiates from Sam's hand, that holds her in a steady grip. Her thumb runs idly over Lena's knuckles, and Lena doesn't understand what she's trying to do until a breeze blows through and Sam drops her hand to take off her blazer, and drape it over Lena's shoulders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She's overcome with emotion then, as Sam steps in close to pull the blazer closer around her. She's enveloped in </span>
  <em>
    <span>her, </span>
  </em>
  <span>in her scent. Sam doesn't cover herself in metallic perfumes, she always smells </span>
  <em>
    <span>clean</span>
  </em>
  <span>, like... Lena can't find the word to describe it other than </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sam. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Her thoughts must be visible, because Sam pauses with her hands on the blazer, tilting her head at her in curiosity, and the gesture brings a smile unbidden to Lena's face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't get cold, darling." Lena reminds her gently, and Sam blinks owlishly at her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I know. But I'm-" Sam tries to find an explanation, but she wrinkles her nose and pats the blazer on Lena's shoulders instead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're being chivalrous," Lena amends, and Sam tries to protest but pauses when she notices Lena pulling the blazer in closer around herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>An amendment on a previous thought - Lena </span>
  <em>
    <span>loves </span>
  </em>
  <span>the night in National City. Or perhaps- she loves walking at the waterfront at night with Sam by her side, with the soft twinkling fairy lights strung between the trees setting soft shadows on Sam's beautiful tanned skin. Her eyes seem to catch every bit of that light, and they shine when they trace over Lena's face, softly, reverently, like Lena herself is something beautiful. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The moment passes though, and they end up walking again. And perhaps it's her own dark thoughts that bring up her vampirism again just as she reaches the base of her building, or it's the mention of why she runs cold. But when Lena admits - "When you spend decades believing that you are something monstrous, it becomes hard to believe that you could be worthy of anything other than hatred and disgust." Sam pauses, and turns to look at her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She doesn't say anything. Lena's glad she doesn't, because the part of her chest where her heart would be feels aching and raw. Instead, she brings a warm hand up, and runs her thumb across Lena's cheek, down to her jaw, and she lifts her chin up just a bit to look her in the eye. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The first day I met you, you were sucking the life out of some creepy scary guy." Sam says, and Lena closes her eyes and sighs at the reminder. "You're kind of terrifying, yes. But that doesn't mean I don't want to get to know you. The </span>
  <em>
    <span>real </span>
  </em>
  <span>you, underneath all the self loathing vampire cliches." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena's eyes shoot open, and she levels Sam with a glare. Sam only gives her a cheeky grin and slaps her cheek in response. It isn't hard enough to hurt, but it's enough to shake Lena out of her thoughts, and get her glaring for real this time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Now stop moping, and open this goddamn door. You might not be getting cold, but I am!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You should know better than to taunt a vampire, Samantha," Lena growls, and she intends on playing up the outrage but before she can stop herself, her fangs begin to descend. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The shock of it brings her silent as the doors open, and they make their way into the lift, Sam laughing at her impeccable humor the entire time. It's only when Sam's laughter trails off with her wiping at her eyes that Sam realises that Lena has been standing still on the opposite side of the gold-trimmed elevator, staring straight ahead at where her reflection would be. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, this is where Sam's consciousness starts to beat her up for teasing Lena. She'd opened up about something personal, and what had Sam done? Oh, only make a joke and probably ruin the one chance she had. Like an idiot. A big idiot.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam scratches the back of her neck, and glances over at Lena. She shuffles her weight just a bit, and clears her throat. "Sorry, Lena. I know that was insensitive of me. I know it took a lot for you to admit-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena keeps her mouth tightly closed, and says nothing. She waves a hand in Sam's direction, for her to let it go. Her expression is odd, Sam can't quite read it, so she continues. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, listen, that was totally a dick move, and I-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It'th </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine</span>
  </em>
  <span>," Lena spits quickly, squaring up her shoulders, and looking in the opposite direction. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wait. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam's eyes narrow slightly as the gears in her mind start to turn. She can see Lena working her jaw back and forth. The elevator stops at the top floor, and Lena all but bursts out of it and into her penthouse, crossing the space in quick and direct steps till she gets into her kitchen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam stands a few feet away, a slowly growing smile on her face. No way. No </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lena-a-a-a," Sam drawls, sauntering up to the counter, leaning with her elbows on the cool marble, her chin resting on her hands. Lena swivels to glare at her, and Sam can see her eyes narrowed into slits just a bit, and two white teeth peeking out from her red-painted lips. "Are you- are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>embarrassed?" </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"No," Lena retorts, and opens the fridge door forcibly. She pulls out a bottle of red wine that Sam is about 80% sure isn't actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>wine</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and glances back at Sam, then at the fridge again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam decides to make it easier for her. "I'll have a scotch. On the rocks," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena nods, and says nothing as she prepares Sam's drink for her. She slides it over, and Sam gives her a smile to which Lena returns a half-smile back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fangs are quite something to behold, but Sam needs proof for her hypothesis. So she brings the scotch glass up to her mouth, before bringing it down and holding it out. "Oh, cheers." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Cheersh-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam slams down the scotch glass and points at Lena in a sudden flash of movement that has Lena startling slightly. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>You have a lisp!</span>
  </em>
  <span>" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In a split second, Lena disappears. Sam's confused, because one moment she was standing and pointing at Lena, the next she's shut herself in what Sam assumes is the bathroom and her undignified cry is slightly muffled to Sam when she shouts- "It'sh only when my fangth-  don't </span>
  <em>
    <span>laugh</span>
  </em>
  <span>." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hadn't intended on laughing, but it starts out as a barely held back snort, then a chuckle, then full blown laughter that bubbles out from inside Sam's chest, and she can't hold it back, even with her hands in front of her mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Bashthard." comes the next grumbled response from the bathroom, and Sam chuckles when she walks on over. She can hear Lena shuffling around in there, and she pauses with her hand hovering above the handle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, she chooses to rest with her back against the door. She calms herself down with a few deep breaths, and when she doesn't hear anything else from Lena, she rests her head on the door, her ear close to the wood so she can hear better. "I'm sorry, it's just- it's </span>
  <em>
    <span>cute</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And you're usually so-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Dangeroush? Terrifying? Able to kill you where you shtand?" Lena snaps back, but that makes Sam roll her eyes. Of course Lena would be dramatic. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"-elegant, and refined. Sorry. I'll stop laughing," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door swings open then, and Sam nearly falls backwards into the bathroom. Lena stands at the sink, her hand resting on her shoulder where she'd been twisting her hair nervously. She stares at Sam for a long moment, and Sam wonders if vampires can </span>
  <em>
    <span>blush </span>
  </em>
  <span>if they don't have any blood of their own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam sits up a little straighter when Lena moves across the space, cat-like green eyes flickering between Sam's eyes like she's trying to catch her out in a lie. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You think I'm-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam nods eagerly. "Yeah. Of course I do. Have you not seen yourself?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena arches an eyebrow, and gestures at the blank mirror. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sorry." Sam facepalms. "But you really- your makeup and everything is always flawless. How do you do it?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Two centurieth worth of doing it by feel." Lena says with a shrug, and Sam purses her lips and nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, that'd do it." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It becomes evident that they're standing in the bathroom now. Sam shuffles her weight back and forth, and lets out a deep sigh. Lena glances at her, and her shoulders droop slightly as she lets down her defenses. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few seconds later, Sam watches as her fangs seem to draw back to their usual canine length. Lena's tongue drags against them, and she lets out a little sigh when she realises that the fangs are gone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam stares at tongue and teeth and bright red lips, and doesn't realise she's doing so until Lena lets out a little chuckle at herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well. I'm sorry. I don't know how I'm meant to... it's been a few decades. A century and a bit, really. And I haven't really had- I don't know how I'm meant to- I really do want to give this a try." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's an admission that comes out as a ramble from a flustered Lena, and Sam's taken aback by the fact that </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lena </span>
  </em>
  <span>is </span>
  <em>
    <span>rambling</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But I'm so... </span>
  <em>
    <span>odd</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And you're so normal-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thanks," Sam rolls her eyes, but Lena just gives her a pointed look and continues. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Can we make this work? Truly? You have a daughter you have to prioritise. A career, in a company that I own, no less. And we're friends, </span>
  <em>
    <span>good </span>
  </em>
  <span>friends, and I wouldn't want to lose that if this doesn't work out-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay, first of all, I'm not going anywhere. I've already seen the worst. I've also heard your lisp, and that'd be a dealbreaker for a lot of people." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thanks for reminding me." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both pause for a second, Sam not knowing what to say next, and Lena, smiling at how Sam fidgets with her wristwatch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then Lena lets out a little huff. She covers her lips with a dainty hand, but then again. It takes Sam a second to realise what's happening, and just as she does, Lena's shoulders shake as she </span>
  <em>
    <span>laughs. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So their first date ends up with them deciding that they'll have another date. And they decide this in Lena's guest bathroom, of all places. It's the most unorthodox romantic encounter that Lena has ever had in her life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wouldn't have it any other way. She feels </span>
  <em>
    <span>giddy</span>
  </em>
  <span>, when it gets late, and Sam has to leave, she forgets her suit jacket behind. Lena brings it to her face and feels quite silly when she takes a deep breath and feels the </span>
  <em>
    <span>longing </span>
  </em>
  <span>in her hollow chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's stupid. Juvenile. Childish. But she gets a text message too, when Sam arrives home. And she can't help but fall back onto her big empty bed, and hold the phone to her chest with a great big smile on her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She doesn't sleep. But she lays there till the sky starts to brighten and wonders if this is what a first love should feel like. </span>
</p><ol>
<li><b> So a human and a vampire have a sleepover </b></li>
</ol><p>
  <span>She doesn't intend on sleeping over at Sam's, but it gets late, and Sam insists. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena feels like it's too early for this. It's still early in their fledgling love, and she's afraid that rushing things will lead to Sam getting bored of her. Or weirded out. Or she will reconsider. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Ruby grins when she realises that their new dinner friend is going to stay over, and she seems as excited as Sam is at the prospect of breakfast with Lena. She can't say no to the pair of big honey-brown eyes that plead at her to stay. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's worth it when Sam pulls a set of pyjamas for Lena to borrow, and they smell of the laundry soap that Sam uses. Lena nearly asks if she can keep them, before reconsidering. That would be strange. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the fabric of the long sleeved shirt is so </span>
  <em>
    <span>soft</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and the pants are already pre-rolled as if Sam had been planning on lending these to Lena. Sam offers her the ensuite to change, and Lena spends what feels like an eternity once she's dressed in the pyjamas just to let herself adjust. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After an unknown amount of time, Sam knocks on the door, and at Lena's affirmative response she opens the door just a bit, to stick her head in with a great big smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You want something to drink before bed?" she asks, and Lena struggles to keep her fangs from descending. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes trail down to the long neck that she can see through the door, and that must help Sam realise what she's just said because she clears her throat and gives Lena an apologetic smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sorry. I meant-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No thank you. Do you?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Nope. Just..." Sam gives a little shrug, and opens the bathroom door. "Trying to be hospitable, you know? I... yeah. Come to bed." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That gets Lena's body reacting in a </span>
  <em>
    <span>different </span>
  </em>
  <span>way, imagining another circumstance where she'd be following Sam's lithe form to her bed. Sam is in shorts and a baggy t-shirt that nearly covers the shorts completely. There is a </span>
  <em>
    <span>lot </span>
  </em>
  <span>of skin on display. Lena tries to be polite, and avoids staring as best as she can as she slides under the covers and Lena follows her on the other side of the bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There's not much of an art to the way that Sam finds herself a way to sleep. She tosses from left to right, and shoves a hand beneath her pillow. Lena lies on her back, with her head squarely on the pillow. Her hands are folded on her abdomen. Her legs remain straight out in front of her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena cannot remember how to sleep. What the correct position is. Vampires do not 'sleep'. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam isn't sleeping. The light is still on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looks over at Lena. Lena tilts her head so she is facing her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm not looking forward to that meeting with Jerkwell Lord next week," Sam says with a short laugh. Her breath is minty, from the toothpaste. Her hair is sneaking out of her braid. With the light behind her, each flyaway looks like spun gold. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena chuckles at the name, and Sam grins. It makes her eyes wrinkle more than usual. Sam is tired, and it seems to relax her just a bit. "I already know what I'm going to tell him," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What are you going to tell him?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That he can shove his offer up his arse, because L-Corp isn't that desperate."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam laughs, and rolls over on her back, slapping the bed a few times as she does. When the laughter dies down, she looks back at Lena with a cheeky expression. "I'll give you ten dollars if you do," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Honey, I'll do it for free." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam starts chuckling again, and Lena is a little startled when Sam leans over her to switch off the bedside light, sending the room into darkness. Her body is so close, Lena can basically feel her pulse, her blood thrumming in her arteries. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then Sam does the inexplicable. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rests an arm on Lena's waist, snuggling closer so her head is nearly on Lena's pillow. She only pauses when she catches Lena's wide-eyed expression, and asks- "Is this okay? I'm a cuddler." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She's warm, and softer than she looks. Her long limbs are all angles, Lena had never given much thought to what it would feel like to be with her like </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but she feels... comfortable, with Sam's long arm over her like this. Sam rubs her arm with her free hand, like she could somehow possibly warm her up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena doesn't want it to stop. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes, it's fine." she murmurs, but Sam is already on her way to sleep. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the thing is, Lena doesn't sleep. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam does. And Sam, subconsciously, seems to think that Lena's cold limbs mean that she has to warm her up with her body heat. So at various points of the night, Lena is disrupted from her thoughts by Sam shifting and moving till she's basically migrated on top of her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena doesn't want to move her. She's sleeping peacefully. It doesn't hurt her, but the pressure of Sam's body weight does get a bit uncomfortable. She instead chooses to focus on the steady thump-thump-thump of her heart, and the rise and fall of her chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena finds something to break up the endless boredom. There's a book on Sam's bedside table, something about parenting. She can read perfectly fine in the dark, and uses that to pass the time and also keep herself from focusing too much on how </span>
  <em>
    <span>close </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sam is. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If her hand moves at around 3am to stroke the back of Sam's head, then that's for her and Sam's subconscious to know. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At around 4am, Sam starts to stir. Lena has been resting there, staring around the room, and at Sam, for a few hours now. Lena's hand stills in it's movements, and the sounds of the blankets rustling seem loud when Sam pushes herself up into a half-pushup, and stares blearily down at Lena's awake face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes blink but don't quite open properly. In the dim light coming in through the curtains, Lena can see as clear as day how her pupils adjust, and her eyes focus on her face. She's adorable, and her voice is even moreso when she croaks - "I was sleeping on you?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes. I don't mind," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam shifts a little more, her legs on either side of Lena's body now as she sits on her hips. Lena lets out a huff, and Sam notices the book that rests in Lena's hand, halfway to Sam's bookmark- "You weren't sleeping?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well. She doesn't know how to admit this. She feels a bit embarrassed, like she's been caught out doing something she shouldn't. "I... don't." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam's brow furrows, and she frowns, not quite understanding. "You don't sleep, baby?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tries not to let her enjoyment of the pet name show. Sam's </span>
  <em>
    <span>sleepy</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and she's sitting on her lap yes but that's no reason for Lena to get ahead of herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena shakes her head, and Sam's eyebrows raise. "And so you were just reading in the dark for-" she glances at the red numbers of the alarm clock beside her bed, "</span>
  <em>
    <span>Six hours?</span>
  </em>
  <span>" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I..." Lena begins, but trails off when she has nothing that she can really say. She purses her lips, and Sam stares down at her in surprise. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You could have told me. You shouldn't strain your eyes like that, it's not good." Sam shakes her head with a sigh, taking the book out of Lena's hand and stumbling off the bed to find something amongst the clutter on her dresser. "I have a subscription. You can listen to some audiobooks. Here." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She plugs a set of earphones into her phone, and hands both to Lena before she ducks out to the bathroom. Lena doesn't intend on listening to anything, but a few of the titles catch her eye more than the parenting book could. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Sam finishes up and crawls back into bed, snuggling back into her side, Lena is scrolling through Sam's favourited books, earbuds in place. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she gets to the steamy vampire romance novels, she goes to make a snarky comment but Sam is already fast asleep. </span>
</p><ol>
<li>
<b> Sam and Lena are more than friends</b><b><em>. </em></b>
</li>
</ol><p>
  <span>Sam has a vampire in her living room right now. She's sitting there wearing her hoodie. When she's focused on her work with her laptop in her lap, she sometimes bites the collar of the hoodie and her fangs come out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena doesn't like her washing the hoodie. She doesn't like it when she comes to stay over and the hoodie doesn't smell like Sam. She's a two hundred year old vampire but she </span>
  <em>
    <span>pouts</span>
  </em>
  <span> and she looks so cute and Sam can't help but fall for her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wonders what that says about her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's not like she doesn't know that Lena is dangerous. She knew she was dangerous from that first meeting, she saw how she drained that guy like a capri sun. He'd been tall and built like a truck too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She's seen other evidence that Lena is dangerous. She can make her eyes glow, and her pupils contract till they're nothing but thin lines like a cat. She hisses like one too. When Lena hasn't fed for a while, her cheeks go hollow and she gets shadows under her eyes and she starts acting jumpy around Sam, nearly drooling when she wears anything that shows off her neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Which is basically anything. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But still, Sam's a bit stupid when it comes to pretty girls. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They're meant to be watching a movie, but Lena has other ideas. She thinks she's being sneaky, but Lena's fingers are freezing as her hand slips under Sam's shirt to rest on her abdomen, and work its way up to tickle at her ribs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam chuckles. The tip of Lena's nose is a point of cold as it drags against the sensitive skin of her neck, and her lips are only slightly warmer as she kisses at the base of her jaw, making Sam's throat jump. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lena..." Sam warns, and Lena sighs against her. She moves to open mouthed kisses, dragging her lips and tongue across her neck in slow, languid motions, with the barest hint of sharp teeth playing at her skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam can </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel </span>
  </em>
  <span>her pout. Her shoulders slump, her hand falls down from her ribs. Sam rolls her eyes, and switches the TV off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That makes Lena perk up alright. She gets up on her knees, already moving to get onto Sam's lap but Sam holds her off with a hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sleepy," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?" Lena's brow furrows, and her reaction is sharp before her eyes search Sam's face, realising it's the truth. "But you slept yesterday?" she tries, playing the naive vampire card, and Sam laughs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Nice try, but I know for a </span>
  <em>
    <span>fact </span>
  </em>
  <span>you're not that out of touch. Come on, let's get ready for bed," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam has a side of the bed that she prefers, and Lena slides in next to her. She's not sure how this is meant to work. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Do you like me?" Sam asks, and Lena shifts over a little to give her a serious side-eye. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is that not obvious?" Lena huffs. Sam chuckles, and presses a kiss to Lena's shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "I mean in the romantic sense," she reaches around, and finds Lena's hands. Her fingers are cold, as they always are, and Sam rubs her hands a little with her own before finding one and tangling their fingers together. "Because I like you in that way," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena thinks a lot. Sam swears she can tell when she's doing it. Her body goes still, unnaturally so while she focuses. Almost as if she forgets for a moment to put on that human appearance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That word feels so juvenile. You mean more to me than that. I care for you deeply." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam's heart skips a beat, and Lena can tell. Her eyes flash, and her smile is wide as she squeezes Sam's hand with her own as the taller woman says-"You always have to one-up me with your fancy way of speaking. Showoff." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena laughs. "I'm sorry. I like you too. In </span>
  <em>
    <span>every</span>
  </em>
  <span> way." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>- </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena has always enjoyed working with Sam. Being involved in a relationship with Sam makes things equal parts more enjoyable, and difficult. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam is </span>
  <em>
    <span>distracting. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Unintentionally, some of the time. But </span>
  <em>
    <span>most </span>
  </em>
  <span>of the time? She's in her office bringing Lena's mind to places where they shouldn't be while they're meant to be working. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena has incredible self control. But there's a day where Sam wears a low-cut blouse, and there are miles of neck and collarbone on display that have Lena lost in thoughts of marking her with lovebites and hickeys and her fangs descend before her eleven-AM meeting with the board of directors and she's forced to bring herself into her adjoining bathroom with an emergency vial of AB+, chugging it down and staring at the wall till she's got things in order. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam distracts her from her work in more ways than that too.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>On a Thursday, Sam wants to bring them out for lunch. In a rare turn of events, it's overcast. Sam claims that she doesn't mind the rain, and puts on a heavy coat and holds an umbrella for Lena the entire way over to the cafe. It's very romantic, very chivalrous. They find a spot in a park that is relatively untouched by rain or sun, and Sam sets the umbrella in a way that it keeps them both safe, Lena from the indirect sunlight and Sam from the spattering rain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I have a question," Sam asks, before biting into her sandwich. She chews for a long moment, and Lena arches an eyebrow as she waits for her to elaborate. "It's about the fangs," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A hot wave of embarrassment rushes through Lena, but it becomes clear that Sam didn't notice her little lapse in self control that day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Can I kiss you?" She asks, and Lena glances down at the sandwich, then at Sam's mouth, then makes eye contact. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Right now?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Not- no! Not right now. I'm eating. I think this might have garlic in it." Sam's cheeks run hot, and she pries open the sandwich, taking a look at the insides. It's endearing, and Lena lets out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "I mean eventually. Will the... is it okay if I do? I've been reading about vampires, and there's stuff about your... you know," she gestures at her mouth, moving her lips as she does so. "And I-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I know you've been listening to the Twilight audiobooks." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam's deer-in-the-headlights look makes Lena want to laugh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's okay. I don't hold it against you. There isn't a lot of </span>
  <em>
    <span>accurate</span>
  </em>
  <span> vampire media out there." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam chuckles, but Lena can still tell she's flustered about being caught out. She picks at the wrapper of her sandwich. "They've really gotta hire some vampire sensitivity readers, huh?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's always amusing, how they can just... </span>
  <em>
    <span>laugh </span>
  </em>
  <span>about these things. Lena smiles, and watches as Sam loses her train of thought, focused on a squirrel as it darts up a nearby tree. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena knows there's a motive behind that question. One that she's most definitely eager to explore. But for now, she's touched by Sam's... </span>
  <em>
    <span>eagerness </span>
  </em>
  <span>to understand her, and her vampirism. </span>
</p><ol>
<li><b> Getting to know you and yours  </b></li>
</ol><p>
  <span>Lena never thought she'd bring </span>
  <em>
    <span>any </span>
  </em>
  <span>human into her secret lab, but after that little encounter she makes the decision to bring her there on a slow Friday afternoon, during their work hours. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The dank old lab reeks of </span>
  <em>
    <span>depression</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She regrets bringing Sam there the second she steps foot in the place, and struggles to see anything because it's so damn </span>
  <em>
    <span>dark </span>
  </em>
  <span>inside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"This is where I keep my brother's notes on vampirism." Lena explains, as the lamps overhead click on in slow succession, and the mess of papers and notes and explanations scrawled on whiteboards comes into view.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam keeps her footsteps light, and her head swivels around constantly, like she doesn't know what to focus on. Lena wishes she'd had the foresight to step in before Sam did, just so she could see her face right now, and see her reactions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So... your brother turned you into a vampire?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He wanted a thrall, so who better than his younger half-sister." Lena says with a scoff. It's history now, but Sam turns around with eyes wide with sorrow, and Lena has to quickly amend her sentence. "Before you say anything, it's fine. I made peace with that when I killed the genocidal maniac." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeesh." Sam murmurs with a hiss, eyebrows raised in surprise before she glances at Lena with a cheeky smile. "And I thought my family had problems." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena chuckles too, but that all comes to an abrupt end when she notices the swirling of dark shadows, coalescing over an etching on a lab table. Before she can say anything to Sam, the human notices the gathering smoke, and in the most comical of movements  her long limbs flail as she scrambles backwards to where Lena is standing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Andrea emerges from the shadows, her phone in her hand as she sits within the now glowing etching on the table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Finally, I've been trying to get to you for ages. You know, there's the hundred-and-eightieth reunion at Mount Helena this year, I was thinking of going just to smite that fucking snake Roulette. Do you follow her on Instagram? I can't even deal with her and Mercy these days. I think we should go back to having blood feuds between different supernaturals, I cannot-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What the fuck-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena brings Sam outside for some fresh air, even though the radiating sun is prickling at her skin just a bit. She sits in the shadow of a doorway, and watches as Sam comes to terms with the shitload of information dumped on her in the last thirty seconds in the lab. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's not the best spot, the ground is dirty and Lena would really prefer to be seated on something a lot cleaner, but Sam needs to process and Lena would never deny her the opportunity to do just that. So she sits primly next to Sam as she rests her head in her hands, her elbows on her knees. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So you went to a boarding school for... </span>
  <em>
    <span>supernaturals</span>
  </em>
  <span>?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I can't believe it. You're literally a young-adult novel protagonist," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena has to laugh at that. Sam shakes her head, and looks over at Lena. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I keep learning more and more things about you every day, and every time I think that something can't get any weirder-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That brings Lena pause. Her smile fades, and Sam backtracks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, no! Baby, this is fine. I can deal with you and your demon best friend. It just..." Sam's expression grows strained, but a smile spreads on her face. She rests a hand on Lena's shoulder. "Be patient with me?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena rests her hand on Sam's and is about to reply "Yes," but she notices how Sam's expression grows confused for a moment. She goes to pull her hand away, but Sam drags her hand down, bringing it between both of her own, and turning it around. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you feeling a little sick, Lena?" Sam asks, tilting her head to one side as she presses Lena's hand between her own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena's brow furrows. "I don't get sick." Sam then brings her hand up to her face, pressing it against her cheek, and Lena is beyond confused. "Sam-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She drops her hand when she hears the hint of warning in Lena's voice. "I'm sorry, it's just- you feel a little warmer than usual." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Huh. That's odd. Lena can't feel anything different with herself. She glances out at the street, which is still mostly in shadow. "Perhaps it's just the sun," she says, but it doesn't sound right, even to her own ears. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They go back in, and Andrea at least has the brain cells to look a little bit embarrassed at barging in like that. She leaves with a pointed message to Lena that they </span>
  <em>
    <span>will </span>
  </em>
  <span>talk later, before disappearing again in a puff of brimstone-scented smoke that has Sam scuttling back in shock a second time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena decides to find some notes that might help. She rifles through Lex's diary, but can't find anything that mentions temperature changes. She does find his notes on vampire venom, and confers with her own on the subject to see if she can answer the question Sam had brought up a week ago. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She doesn't realise that Sam's gone off for a wander until she lifts her head up, and Sam's poking at an anatomical model of a human body, posing the movable limbs so that he's making an odd gesture with his arms. She must feel Lena's eyes on her, because she glances in her direction before doing a double take, and quickly backs away from the model. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What did you find?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The amount of venom required to turn a person into a vampire is considerably more than anything you'd come into contact with-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just like Twilight," Sam mutters to herself, and at Lena's unimpressed eyebrow raise, she smiles sheepishly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"My own notes show that since I wasn't born a vampire anyways, the dosage of venom in my bite is considerably less than that of a born vampire." She continues to muse, idly noting that Sam is walking closer. "So that means, for all intents and purposes, it should be perfectly safe to-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam's hand is warm as it cups her jaw and lifts her gaze up from the book, and to her face instead. Every logical thought trails from her mind, and the journal drops from her hand when Sam reaches over to take it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looks at the scrawled notes in the journal, and places the book down gently on the table before cupping Lena's face with both hands, and leaning in-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"One more thing before I- holy shit-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam leaps back a few feet, and nearly ends up on her ass as Andrea pops back in, her timing </span>
  <em>
    <span>impeccable</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Lena's eyes narrow into slits, and she growls- </span>
  <em>
    <span>"Andrea</span>
  </em>
  <span>-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They don't get close to kissing again for quite some time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Life gets busy. Lena </span>
  <em>
    <span>hates </span>
  </em>
  <span>it. She wishes she could just sell L Corp and whisk Sam and Ruby away from their busy corporate city life so that they could have time to go back to those fun times with friendly dinners and laughter and fun. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But of course, the later in the year it gets, the more the pressure builds on Sam to show that L Corp's profits are following projected growth, and poor Lena is left to manage a company while also wishing that she could be kissing away the wrinkle that crops up in the corner of Sam's mouth when she's stressed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because she can do that. Kiss her. She's allowed to. It's not going to kill her, or turn her into a vampire. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She'd never really given much thought to kissing her before, but now that she knows that she can, it's all she can think about whenever they're in a meeting, sitting across from each other at the board room table, and Sam gives her that warm smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next time they even get to spend time together, it's at a tentative request from Ruby of all people. For some reason, her school was closed for the day, and after spending time in Sam's office for most of the day, she'd wandered into Lena's. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena can't say she doesn't like the kid's company. She's funny, witty, smart for her age. In her office today, she's kept Lena's mind active and </span>
  <em>
    <span>away </span>
  </em>
  <span>from thoughts of kissing her mom by discussing the latest drama emerging in her friendship group, and the intense training her soccer team are going through to get to the district finals. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, by the way, you should so come. It'd be great." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena zones back into the conversation when she notices the girl looking at her with big, pleading eyes. She tilts her head to the side, pursing her lips. Already formulating a negative response. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because even if she's in the shade, strong sunlight still reflects and makes her skin feel uncomfortable. She doesn't want to get the girl hyped up, only to see her visitor bail halfway through the match. It's getting warmer, and there's a high chance that the soccer game will occur on a day where it's considerably sunny-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's in a week, and I checked the weather report. It's meant to be cloudy, so you don't have to worry about bursting into flames or whatever." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena pauses, her pen halfway to her paper. Ruby raises her eyebrows, and gives her a shrug. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What? Surprised that I figured it out? I mean, you don't eat Italian food." </span>
</p><ol>
<li><b> World War Soccer moms </b></li>
</ol><p>
  <span>To say Sam is not expecting Lena to show up to the intermediate girls' district finals is an understatement. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena steps out of the car, and onto the gravel and understands why Ruby had suggested she didn't wear stilettos for this one occasion. The car pulls away as she walks on over, her umbrella over her head not looking the slightest out of place amongst the umbrellas and marquees set up for the game. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam turns and looks at her when Ruby gives Lena a great big wave from the pitch during her warm up. Sam's confused expression turns to a full out grin when Lena approaches, propping the oversized umbrella between their two seats and sitting primly on the plastic chair next to Sam. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ruby was planning a surprise, but I didn't know what! I'm so happy you made it!" Sam gives her a half-hug, and Lena knows not to push for more when she notices the glances that Sam makes to the other parents either side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam's dressed down, in a soft hoodie and tight jeans. Lena's happy that she isn't standing out too much in her sweater and leggings, even though it had felt quite odd not to dress up for such a momentous occasion. There's a dynamic here that Lena is quite unfamiliar with, something she hasn't been around before. There's a friendliness to the parents that seems somewhat... terse? Conditional, almost. Like they are standing in support of the one team, but are all secretly in service of some other personal goal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The opposing team's parents are also interspersed within the same group, which feels like a bit of an oversight. She can see the bristling when parents of opposing children stand too close together. Sam doesn't seem to be in on the posturing and the false niceties, she sits alone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It doesn't feel like it was by choice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"She was very convincing, she spent at least half an hour telling me all about the new strategies they'd been working on." At Sam's curious smile, she tells her- "She saw my chess set, and she picked up that I love a good strategy game." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam laughs, when she shakes her head her ponytail bobs. "Yeah, she's been watching a lot of crime shows recently. Really into deductive reasoning and all that." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The game starts with the shrill cry of the whistle, and at the first bounce of the ball, Lena is surprised to feel the ground tremble beneath her feet as both teams spring to action. It feels all too much like </span>
  <em>
    <span>war</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and not like a soccer game, with parents shouting out advice to their children that reminds Lena of generals barking orders to soldiers on their teams. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam notices how taken aback Lena is, and rests a hand on her thigh with a smile. "I know, right?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's- I didn't expect it'd be this intense," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"This is actually pretty tame," Sam says with a chuckle. "Nobody's been fouled yet. Just wait." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually it does descend into chaos, but not in the way either of them expect. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A high kick catches Ruby across the face. Things descend into chaos in three ways. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Firstly, Sam cries out and starts to make her way to the field. Lena follows, conscious of running at an almost human pace. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Secondly, the ref pulls out a red card, and the other child's parent stands up and starts loudly swearing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thirdly, tears spring to Ruby's eyes, and Lena sees her covering her face with her hand as blood begins to stream from her nose. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It doesn't even occur to her to be cautious or anything of the sort. She's instantly on her knees in front of the girl, pulling a handkerchief out of her purse and holding it to her nose. Sam is freaking out, trembling with her phone in her hands to call the clinic as an argument breaks out between the parent and the ref. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby's shaking, but she's getting over the initial shock that had her bursting into tears. Lena turns her attention to her, gently pulling her hand back to check her nose. It looks fine to her eyes, but she knows she needs to do a better check. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ruby, darling, can I see if it's broken?" Lena asks, and the girl nods, breathing sharply through her mouth. Lena gently guides her fingers against the bridge of the nose, but to her relief there doesn't seem to be anything broken. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena helps her back up, as Sam comes off the phone, and after a few quick and tearful words to the coach, turns her attention back to Ruby and Lena. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's then that her eyes go wide at the sight of blood on Lena's hands, but Lena is completely unphased. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena climbs into the backseat with Ruby as Sam drives. Her knuckles are white, the steering wheel in a death grip, but Ruby's calmed down somewhat after a chance to rinse the worst of the blood off of her nose. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She is holding Lena's hand against the swelling in lieu of an ice pack. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam starts to talk when they reach their first red light. "I'm surprised that you..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That Lena didn't go all crazy like a shark when I started to bleed?"  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam shakes her head, "No, I'm surprised that Lena knew how to stop the bleeding. And that you know about her..." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby rolls her eyes. The effect is muted with Lena's hand against the swelling bridge of her nose. "She's always cold, hates the sun, doesn't eat Italian food, and you got rid of that tacky cross from Patricia before she came to visit the first time-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena's eyebrows rise, and Sam quickly glances at her in the rearview mirror, "She </span>
  <em>
    <span>doesn't </span>
  </em>
  <span>know about that-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"She also claims to be on a diet all the time, has no baby photos, and she was on the Catco list of 'People most likely to be secret vampires' with Keanu Reeves so like, yeah." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The clinic visit is quick. Ruby gets sent home. Saturday is spent with her on the couch with an ice pack over her nose and her headphones in while she relaxes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena doesn't realise she's got Ruby's blood on her hands until she follows Sam to the laundry, and Sam gently points it out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looks down, and for once in her undead 'life', the sight of blood </span>
  <em>
    <span>unsettles </span>
  </em>
  <span>her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Should we talk about it?" Sam asks, her voice soft, almost as if she's afraid of spooking her. Lena lets her guide her to the sink, and she feels like she's outside of her own body when Sam brings in a bar of laundry soap, and starts to gently soap up her hands as the water runs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stands beside her, washing the left hand first, then the right. She takes careful time to make sure all the blood is off Lena's hands, running her thumb between the creases of her palms, between each finger. Bubbly, pinkish water sluices off her hands into the sink. Sam moves to the right hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I never want to have her blood on my hands again," the words tumble out of Lena's mouth, and Sam pauses, the water still trickling down the sink. "I never want to have </span>
  <em>
    <span>your </span>
  </em>
  <span>blood on my hands. It made me </span>
  <em>
    <span>sick, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sam. Nothing I have </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever </span>
  </em>
  <span>seen has felt so wrong as that did today. I just wanted it to stop." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena feels the soft pressure of Sam kissing her temple once, twice. Three times before her arms wrap around Lena, her hands dripping on the tile floor. It takes her a second to realise that her body is shaking, and there's a burning sensation in her eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She's never cried before (not for lack of wanting to, she's had </span>
  <em>
    <span>plenty </span>
  </em>
  <span>to cry about in two centuries of existence). </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So the first tear that runs down her face is a foreign and alien sensation. It burns and rolls down her cheek and she rubs at her face in shock, trying to get it off her skin as quickly as possible. But then another comes, and she's realising that she's </span>
  <em>
    <span>crying</span>
  </em>
  <span>.  </span>
</p><ol>
<li><b> Processing</b></li>
</ol><p>
  <span>Lena doesn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>avoid </span>
  </em>
  <span>them after that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She just needs to... process. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She's not meant to feel warm at times. She's not meant to consume human food, she's not meant to be able to sit in the shade and feel the sun and not feel drained afterwards. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blood has </span>
  <em>
    <span>always </span>
  </em>
  <span>driven her feral. That's why she went to </span>
  <em>
    <span>research </span>
  </em>
  <span>and never worked as a doctor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something, </span>
  <em>
    <span>something </span>
  </em>
  <span>about this is throwing her off. It must be Sam. Or maybe she's dying for real this time? Maybe it's because she killed Lex. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Andrea's teasing drawl interrupts her thoughts on her eighth straight day in the lab. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So, you and your little human plaything are over then?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena huffs under her breath. She knows how she looks right now, gaunt and corpse-like, shadows under her eyes and an even more unnatural pallor to her skin. But it's not because of a break up. "Shut up." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How mature." Andrea sits on the summoning circle etched onto the table. She picks up Lena's phone idly, and Lena makes to reach for it but it's too late, she's already noticed the flurry of calls from Sam. She smiles, but it's not teasing but almost... </span>
  <em>
    <span>pitying</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Which is worse. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She feels almost petulant when she replies, "She's not my... </span>
  <em>
    <span>plaything</span>
  </em>
  <span>." She doesn't look Andrea in the eye, and the possessed woman rolls her eyes, laying across the table over papers and notes and all manner of things that Lena is using right now thank you. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She glowers at Andrea, but it isn't very effective. The smoke curls around Andrea's form, and she rests her head on her hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Then what," she drawls out the vowels, it feels like she's toying with Lena now. "She's your </span>
  <em>
    <span>girlfriend</span>
  </em>
  <span>?" The slightest hint of a snarl builds in Lena's chest, and Andrea smiles with dark satisfaction. "There she is. I was starting to think she declawed you. Maybe </span>
  <em>
    <span>you're </span>
  </em>
  <span>the plaything." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It isn't like that!" Lena snaps, and Andrea at least is taken aback by that. She raises her eyebrows, and Lena runs a hand through the mess of her hair, sighing heavily. "She's... she's different." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You know, relationships with humans never last." There's a blunt realism to how Andrea speaks now. An honesty that Lena doesn't want to hear. "She'll die one day, and you'll be alone," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I know that, and it isn't my concern right now." Lena mutters, and Andrea rolls her eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't say that I didn't warn you." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Lena looks back in her direction after thirty seconds of silence, all she can see where Andrea was is a small trail of smoke, filtering up into the air. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looks back at the notes in front of her, and a part of her knows her answers are not in them. This is uncharted territory, she's reached the end of collective knowledge on vampirism. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She almost feels her head hurting at the thought of the work she'll have to do to figure this out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So she takes a break. </span>
</p><ol>
<li><b> A lovely nap with Sam </b></li>
</ol><p>
  <span>Sam's bed is warm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That's the problem. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's </span>
  <em>
    <span>too </span>
  </em>
  <span>warm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She lies awake most nights, thinking about the times she'd woken up with her head on Lena's ample chest, with her hand running idly through her hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her phone calls go to voicemail, she doesn't respond to her texts. Jess tells Sam that all she's heard is that Lena is on stress leave, and that she could be back anywhere between a week, and whenever her accrued leave is up. Which is several hundred days, mind you. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With the absence of their leader, their company is in turmoil. So Sam starts wishing that </span>
  <em>
    <span>she </span>
  </em>
  <span>had taken out that stress leave and not Lena. Even Ruby misses the vampire, asking Sam one day if the reason why Lena hadn't come back was because of the soccer game that went wrong. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There's a Lena shaped hole in the Arias' lives, and there's nothing that time can really do to fix it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena showing up at their house looking... well, as dead as she actually is, is apparently the only thing that can. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's two AM, and Lena's on the couch at Sam's house. There's a blanket tucked around her, and she opens her eyes, startled at the fact that she has no memories from a period of time between getting to Sam's house and opening her eyes on the couch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure </span>
  </em>
  <span>that she'd gotten to Sam's at just after dusk, too. Not at two in the morning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Where did that time go? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sits up abruptly. The clock on the microwave tells her again. </span>
  <em>
    <span>2:43. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The clock on the wall says the same. The oven clock is five minutes behind, but still. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She feels like a zombie, and that's wrong because that isn't what she is. Taking the blanket with her, she pads her way through the house, down the hall and realises then that she's still in the same clothes she was when she got there, but her shoes are off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The jacket is uncomfortable, and when she opens Sam's bedroom door she starts undressing the uncomfortable outer layers until she's just in her shirt, and after some wriggling her bra is tossed somewhere in the far corners of Sam's room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bed dips when she clambers into bed beside Sam, her head fuzzy, like it has been filled with cotton wool. There's a slight murmur from the other woman as she adjusts to let Lena under the covers, throwing an arm around her and shuffling close. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then there is silence, the rustle of fabric dying down to be replaced by the stillness of night. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There's an incessant buzzing that has Lena opening her eyes an indeterminate amount of time later. It rattles around in her head but before she can find a way to get it to cut out, there's a clatter and a thump, and the buzzing stops. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Warm arms wrap around her, and there's a gentle kiss pressed onto burning skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Burning skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena's eyes shoot wide open. The morning sunlight feels nearly blinding. She flails off the bed, startling Sam, and she rushes over to the windows to close the curtains but the damage has already been done. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh shit, Lena, are you okay? Sorry I didn't-" Sam is wide awake now, kneeling on the bed, eyes wide in shock. If Lena's skin didn't feel on fire, and her throat wasn't prickling with the desire to feed, she would have noticed how beautiful Sam looks in the morning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I was asleep." Lena blurts, and Sam tilts her head to the side in confusion. "I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>asleep</span>
  </em>
  <span>." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It's early. Sam is still in her pyjamas as she drives Lena to her penthouse. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other woman is wrapped up completely. Not an inch of skin out to the sunlight. She's in one of Sam's hoodies and a pair of pants that swim around her feet. Her hands are in mittens and she wears a pair of Sam's sunglasses. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She's still reeling from </span>
  <em>
    <span>waking up. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena doesn't sleep. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Didn't </span>
  </em>
  <span>sleep. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam turns on her favourite breakfast radio channel, and that at least breaks up the monotony of driving through morning traffic on the way into the city from the suburbs. There's a line of trucks heading in, and Sam's clearly used to this by the way she picks her way through the building surge. It isn't even peak hour yet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You had us worried there, you know? When you didn't call back." Sam admits.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena's fangs descend for the first time in quite a while, and she covers them with a mittened hand, feeling that burning come to her eyes. "I never cry. I never thleep." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam doesn't react to the lisp, only glances at the corner of her eye at her fangs before returning her attention to the road. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I was trying to figure it out. Why I'm changing. I've lived two hundred yearsh like this. I had to know if it was becauth of me killing Lexth, or if it was becaush-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There's a snort. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There it is</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena glares over at Sam. The woman's mouth is drawn in, her hair is a mess, and she's putting so much effort into holding in a laugh. Sam at least has the decency to look a little bit chastised at being caught out laughing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena arches an eyebrow at her, but can't find it in herself to be mad. It </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>kind of funny. The corner of her lips twitch up into a smile, and Sam ramps up the volume of the radio quickly. "Uh, Lena I'm not laughing at you. It's just that talkback radio is </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>funny-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The deadpan look Lena gives her gets her to stop digging herself into a deeper hole. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She clears her throat, and drums her fingers against the steering wheel. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Right so... you're sure you're not just thirsty?" At Lena's nod, Sam's brow furrows. She stays like that while she takes the bypass into the city, and it's after a few blocks that her eyes widen and she comes up with an idea. "Wait a second. I have an idea, babe. Do you trust me?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena looks over at Sam, and before she responds she drags her tongue around her teeth, to be sure her fangs have retracted. They have. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes..." Lena says, but regrets it as soon as she sees Sam turn into a drive thru. </span>
</p><ol>
<li><b> Two breakfast burritos and a cup of O negative for the vampire, please </b></li>
</ol><p>
  <span>It's the stupidest idea Lena has ever heard of. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stares at Sam in disbelief as she takes her bag of takeaway and her cup of coffee from the drive thru, puts the coffee in her cup holder, and drives to a parking spot nearby. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's the stupidest idea Lena has ever heard of, but Sam might just have a point. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam rifles in the bag for the cutlery for their takeaway short stacks. There's a... </span>
  <em>
    <span>scent</span>
  </em>
  <span> emanating from the bag that intrigues Lena's taste buds more than the cup of blood she'd tried to stomach back in the lab. It's something sweet, and indulgent, and it reminds her for some strange reason of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sam</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tries not to look too eager as Sam hands her a set of plastic cutlery, and a slightly deflated box. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh right, and the syrup." Sam says, tossing a little plastic tub into Lena's lap </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That's </span>
  </em>
  <span>what the smell is. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They're in a corner of the parking lot that is shaded by the impassive concrete wall of a nearby building. It's the perfect spot. Sam leaves the radio on, and the car is filled with mindless background chatter as Sam opens her box, pulls the foil off her own small tub of syrup, and drizzles the entire thing onto her pancakes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena is entranced by the way Sam drags a finger across the bottom edge of the tub, and brings her finger into her mouth. The little moan she lets out is downright </span>
  <em>
    <span>sinful</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and it has Lena swallowing thickly. Sam cuts herself a piece of her pancake, but before she puts it into her mouth Lena's hand flies out faster than she can comprehend, and stops her inches from her mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam blinks. Stares at Lena's hand. Then looks at Lena, with her eyebrows raised. "You have your own." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena looks down in her lap, and, sure enough indeed, she does. She lets go of Sam's hand, and tries to retain some of her dignity by opening the pancakes in a civilised manner. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You know your skin is looking less... angry red. Does it still hurt?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Huh. Now that Sam mentions it, she'd forgotten about the burning sensation on her skin. It's still there, ever-present, but it seems to be... healing itself? Undoing the damage somehow? In a way that it usually only used to do when she'd gorge herself on fresh blood after a particularly bad sun incident. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, not really." Lena realises, and opens her tub of syrup. She's tempted to just tip the whole thing into her mouth, and it must show because Sam's eyes sparkle with amusement. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, she says nothing, and only continues to eat her own pancakes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pours the syrup onto her pancakes. Not as generously as Sam did, she retains some in the small tub. For later, perhaps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The plastic cutlery feels unwieldy and flimsy in her hands. She wonders if it's truly due to their weak construction, or if decades of disuse have deteriorated her muscle memory of using cutlery. Luckily, slicing through the short stack is simpler than it seems, and before long she has a perfect morsel of syrupy pancake on the end of her fork.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A part of her is reluctant, only opening her mouth at the last moment. She can feel Sam's eyes on her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She slowly opens her mouth, and the flavour that explodes on her tongue is otherworldly-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry, Lena!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The retching continues on the other side of the bathroom door. Sam presses her forehead against the cold surface, wincing as she hears Lena's dry heaves. It takes what feels like an eternity, but after a while she hears her flush the toilet, and head to the sink to wash her hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There's a worker mopping the floors, who pauses when he sees how Sam is standing outside the bathroom. She gives him a half wave and he goes back to what he was doing, eyebrows raised. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yeah. Sam knows this doesn't look good. She vaguely wonders if they think Lena has morning sickness. She kind of wants to tell him that it isn't morning sickness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luckily, Lena opens the door before Sam can open her mouth. She looks haggard, her skin still pinkish from the sun exposure. She looks up at Sam, and croaks- </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I know what the problem is." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Do I want to know why a vampire is buying a blender?" Sam asks, but she seems to catch onto what the idea is after that. "A liquid-only diet?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dinner that night is different. Sam gets whatever Lena seems to think smells nice from their kitchen, and together they fill the blender. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby is interested - and a little bit disgusted - at the kinds of things that go in there. Mostly leafy green vegetables, raw, but also maple syrup, nearly all of Sam's coconut water, and a few almonds and other mixed nuts from the pantry. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's probably the iron content." Lena muses to herself while Sam chops up a generous amount of kale leaves. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, at least this way </span>
  <em>
    <span>you're </span>
  </em>
  <span>the one using all that kale, so I don't have to eat it for dinner," Ruby says with a grin, and Sam gives her a disapproving glower and switches on the blender, interrupting whatever she was going to say next with a cacophonous roar. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once everything is blended to Sam's standards, she gets a spoon, takes some of the pulpy green mixture, and wrinkles her nose as she gives it the tiniest taste. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ugh," she sticks her tongue out, and holds out the spoon for Lena. "You can try it, but I don't think-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena's a little skeptical now, a little cautious after this morning's terrible pancake situation. But since blood isn't going down, she's really got no other choice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She glances at Sam, who is now rubbing her tongue on the back of her sleeve. Ruby's grimacing too, as Lena holds the spoon a few inches from her mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She steels herself, and sips a tiny bit of the green juice off the spoon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It... </span>
  <em>
    <span>it isn't that bad</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She swallows, and it seems to go down fine. None of the almost immediate discomfort in her stomach from last time. She takes the rest of the spoon in her mouth, and Ruby and Sam both cry out - </span>
  <em>
    <span>eww</span>
  </em>
  <span> - as her eyes widen at the taste. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's good. Shut up," she cries when she notices their expressions, and Sam laughs, shaking her head in disbelief. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I mean, I guess it's more humane than blood, but still. Gross." Sam sticks her tongue out, and Ruby giggles as well. </span>
</p><ol>
<li><b> The eleven DELICIOUS green juices that you simply HAVE to try in National City before you die. </b></li>
</ol><p>
  <span>Jess seems to think that Lena's on a new plant-based, liquid only diet. There's a good blend at Noonans' this week, and she gets Jess to bring her one every morning when she gets her own coffee. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's... </span>
  <em>
    <span>nice. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She feels a little more </span>
  <em>
    <span>human </span>
  </em>
  <span>drinking green juice out of a bamboo straw as she sits at her desk. She feels... </span>
  <em>
    <span>normal</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The occasional lunch with her best friend Kara is a lot more manageable too. She no longer feels guilty about rescheduling on a day that is a little too sunny. She's at least able to manage sitting in the shade or at a table that isn't by a window on those days, so she makes arrangements for a cafe that runs a decent juice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first time that Lena orders something catches Kara by surprise. She stares wide-eyed at Lena as the waitress walks off, and it's only after Lena glances up from a text message from Sam (who is running late) that she realises that she's got Kara's eyes on her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Please don't burn a hole in the side of my face. It's the only thing I have going for me," Lena teases, and Kara blinks, confusion in the wrinkle of her brows before her eyes go wide again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why did you order a green juice? Was that for me? I hate those things." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I've found something you won't consume. And here I thought that wasn't possible." Lena laughs, before realising that they are entering the realm of conversation that they usually avoid. "I've started drinking them. They're not so bad, really." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kara slides back on her chair, eyes wide in shock. "What? Why? </span>
  <em>
    <span>How?</span>
  </em>
  <span>" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It gives her a sudden hit of perspective, really. She's not given much thought to </span>
  <em>
    <span>why </span>
  </em>
  <span>things are changing for her, but they are. She can't stomach the sight or the taste of blood anymore. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>sleeps </span>
  </em>
  <span>now, that's never been a thing before. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There are two potential catalysts for that too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Lex's death, and-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey babe! Sorry I'm late, those goddamn </span>
  <em>
    <span>idiots </span>
  </em>
  <span>in accounts- oh, and Kara! Nice to finally meet you in person!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam bustles into the cafe, strides over with her long legs and how did Lena not realise that she was wearing </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>suit this morning? She looks beautiful, and if Lena could blush, she's sure the blood would rush right to her face when Sam leans down and soft locks of hair brush Lena's skin as she leaves a kiss on Lena's forehead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kara's eyes flicker between them for just a moment before she matches Sam's smile with her own, and holds out a hand for her to shake. "So you're </span>
  <em>
    <span>the </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sam, huh?" she says, a teasing glint in her eye, and Sam's flustered chuckle has Lena shooting a glare at her best friend. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a quick glance at her watch, Sam unbuttons her blazer and sits down beside Lena. Her arm goes over her shoulders briefly, giving her arm a gentle squeeze. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The possessiveness is... </span>
  <em>
    <span>well</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Lena doesn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>hate</span>
  </em>
  <span> it. But it's a bit unnecessary given that this is Kara. Who has more romantic feelings towards </span>
  <em>
    <span>potstickers </span>
  </em>
  <span>than people. Kara who is now wiggling her eyebrows at Lena with a knowing grin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena sends her a withering glare, but she knows it's not that effective with Sam looking at her with those big goofy heart eyes as she often does. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I've got a few minutes before I've got to ring our associates in Metropolis. Kara, I read the article in Catco the other day that you wrote - I'm so excited for the waterfront festival! I'll definitely be bringing my daughter along too, she loves food trucks." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena knows the change in leadership down at Catco has been a sore spot for Kara for quite some time. But Sam's found the one clickbait-y article that Kara </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually </span>
  </em>
  <span>enjoyed writing somehow and before long the two of them are chatting away, with Lena sipping intermittently at her green juice and adding comments here and there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It runs into the night, too. I'd definitely recommend the fireworks," Kara adds, with a quick glance at Lena. She's touched that she takes that into consideration. Sam glances at Kara with a slight twitch in her expression, like she's clued in on the fact that Kara knows her secret. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She doesn't say anything about it though, only gives Lena one of those warm smiles, and reaches to hold her free hand in her own. "That'd be nice," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It would. Lena can't help but get lost for a moment, and she notices Sam's gaze go wistful too before she rubs her thumb on the back of Lena's hand, and lets it go. Her skin feels cold without Sam's radiating warmth. She pulls her hand back, and absently pushes her hair back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Kara, are you thinking of going as well?" Lena asks, making idle conversation. Sam's taken her attention - as she often does, and she'd feel guilty but she knows she'll be in for a grilling from Kara later. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Meh, I don't know. I might just show up for the food. A friend from work wants to go, but he's..." she waves her hand, and Lena nods in understanding. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He doesn't know</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There's not really much to say after that. Kara's food shows up, and a few minutes into her eating, Sam's watch goes off with an incessant beeping. She gives Lena an apologetic smile and a kiss on the forehead, and is bustling off with a goodbye to them both in that hasty power-walk that she does when she's late. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her still heart seems to clench a bit when Sam turns back to look at her when she's outside the glass door, and she gives her a big smile and a wave as she jogs back to the office. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pushes the straw back and forth in her cup, and when she turns back to look at Kara, the blonde is staring at her with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>huge</span>
  </em>
  <span>, toothy grin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So..." she drawls, and Lena pulls her straw out of her cup, brandishing it in Kara's direction. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"... Shut up." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>What? She really has nothing better to say, not when Kara's grin is only growing wider. "You're both </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>cute." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Stop it." Lena hisses, but that only makes Kara toss her head back and laugh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>gone. I can't believe Lena 'don't touch me' Luthor has a </span>
  <em>
    <span>girlfriend</span>
  </em>
  <span>." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh yeah?" Lena's eyebrows raise, and she crosses her arms. "And what about this friend from work, hm?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kara scoffs, dismissing the thought. "Not the same. You're in </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span>." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena's eyes grow wide, and her eyes dart back to the door. Sam's long gone. "Nobody said anything about-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh but you've thought about it! And anyways, even if you weren't. She's </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely </span>
  </em>
  <span>in love with you." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Really?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kara nods, seriously. "Really </span>
  <em>
    <span>really." </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She wonders what that means, that Kara was able to pinpoint that Sam was in love with her from a brief lunchtime meeting. She wonders what it means, that the thought of being in love with Sam doesn't fill her with instant dread. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, it fills her chest. Slowly, but she feels it like a physical thing. Like it might just burst right out of her throat. It's </span>
  <em>
    <span>warmth, </span>
  </em>
  <span>that she tries to chase down with the cold of her kale juice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Something is changing," Lena looks down at the straw, the dregs of her juice, and then over at Kara. She's got both cheeks filled with food like a chipmunk, that she forces down with an audible gulp. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I noticed." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't know why," Lena adds, and Kara pokes at her fries with her fork. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Maybe it's Sam?" She offers, and when Lena looks at her confused, Kara shrugs and gestures wildly with her hands. "I mean, it's a thought. It might not be, but things seemed to start changing for you when you started hanging out with her more." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kara... has a point. Lena mulls on it while Kara chews on her next mouthful of fries. She pokes at the bottom of the juice again, as if she can read her future out of the green pulpy mess like they used to read fortunes at the bottom of tea cups. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I mean, take it or leave it, but you know how I'm a sucker for a romantic cliche," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't remind me, my eyes haven't recovered from that time you made us both watch 'The Notebook'." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kara's eyebrows raise above the frames of her glasses, and she brandishes her fork out at Lena. "That is a </span>
  <em>
    <span>classic-" </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"For someone who claims to not like romance, you consume a lot of trashy romance fiction." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"At least I wasn't making googly eyes at my girlfriend during a lunch date with my best friend." Kara retorts, sticking out her tongue teasingly as Lena glares. "You two were literally seconds away from making out I swear-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena drops her straw, and purses her lips. Of course, that's all Kara needs to draw a completely logical and accurate conclusion that has her gasping and dropping her fork with a loud clatter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You haven't even kissed her yet?!" She cries out, and Lena shoots her a deadly glare, waving her hand in her direction to get her to quiet down. Kara at least has the decency to look the </span>
  <em>
    <span>slightest </span>
  </em>
  <span>bit embarrassed, smiling apologetically at an elderly couple sneering over at the loud-mouthed blonde. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shut up! Don't-" Lena hisses, then takes a deep breath to calm herself down. Kara leans forward. "We just haven't had the time. We're both very busy." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well then </span>
  <em>
    <span>make the time</span>
  </em>
  <span>." Kara says, her voice a tiny bit quieter this time. As if it's that easy. "What was the hold up in the first place anyways? She clearly wants to." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena drags her tongue across her teeth, and sits back in her chair. There </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>a reason in the first place, but now that they know... well. What </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>holding her back? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kara takes that as a win, and her ears lift up a bit as she smiles. "Well. That's settled. You're going to text me when you do it, I need all the goss. Also, I need to start planning what to do for your bachelorette party-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena scowls. Kara just tosses a few more fries into her mouth and grins. </span>
</p><ol>
<li><b> reflections</b></li>
</ol><p>
  <span>There's a slow Thursday, and a long and arduous slog through Friday. She goes home with Sam, since it's easier this way. She'll be there anyways on Saturday, so she might as well just start things early by sleeping over for the night. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dinner is a casual affair. Ruby helps with dinner, and recommends that Lena at least try something more appetising in her juice. The berries are a nice addition, the mixture of tart and sweet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They watch a movie after dinner. Sam and Ruby have a bowl of ice cream each, and sit on either side of her as they all watch a cartoon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's some animated movie that Lena didn't catch the title of. It was Ruby's choice, and she doesn't realise that her choice was deliberate until Lena points at the protagonist, a young vampire girl with dark hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey Lena? That's you," Ruby teases. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena gives her a mean side-eye, before pointing out one of the comical little werewolf characters. "That's you." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby gasps in mock offense, before bursting out into laughter. Sam tries to get them both to be quiet, but she's giggling too, the light from the TV making her eyes sparkle with amusement. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ice cream seems appetising. Sam seems to be enjoying her portion, it's got large chunks of chocolate fudge and Sam smiles after every mouthful. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She's caught staring at Sam's lips after the last spoonful enters Sam's mouth, and Sam raises her eyebrows, curious. "Did you want some?" she asks, and Lena quickly shakes her head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, no. I'm fine. Was it as good as you'd hoped?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam nods and hums her agreement. She puts her bowl on the coffee table, and when she settles back onto the sofa she wraps her arm around Lena's shoulders, just like she'd done in the cafe. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With Ruby pressing against her on one side, half-asleep and using Lena to prop herself up so she can see better, and Sam on the other, she feels as warm as she ever has. It feels... nice. It feels like home. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's the end of an unremarkable week, where nothing much really happened. She's tired and it's a Friday night and they're watching a movie. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This is the most... </span>
  <em>
    <span>normal </span>
  </em>
  <span>Lena has felt in about two hundred years. </span>
</p><p>
  <span> So it feels like a significant moment. Significant enough for Lena that she makes the mental decision for this to be the day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She is going to kiss Samantha Arias. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She can't do it now, not with Ruby here. But Lena is capable of being patient, so she waits. She says good night to Ruby and gives her a hug before she darts off to bed. She waits for Sam to finish tidying up, helping her by bringing the empty bowls of ice cream and a few stray pieces of cutlery from the dining table as she rinses the dishes to put in the dishwasher. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She waits while Sam wanders off into the bedroom, follows her to the bathroom as she goes to brush her teeth. Watches Sam in the bathroom mirror as she gives her a little smile, and watches herself in the mirror-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>herself- </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the mirror- </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Next to Sam. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It doesn't occur to Sam what's going on until she hears Lena's little quiet gasp, and watches her in the mirror as her eyes widen and her jaw drops open. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tap is running, water rushing down the drain as she holds her toothbrush, ready to brush. She turns around quickly to look at Lena beside her, and then glances back in the mirror at her reflection, then at Lena again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena is transfixed on the image reflected back at her. She steps forward until she bumps into the counter, and her hand trembles as she reaches out to the mirror's surface. Her reflection reaches back, and Lena pulls her hands to her face and sees the contours of her face that she'd been so used to simply </span>
  <em>
    <span>feeling </span>
  </em>
  <span>for the past two centuries. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam steps up behind her, and closes the tap. She drops her toothbrush onto the counter and Lena can watch as she wraps her arms around her, and rests her head on Lena's shoulder. Sam's face alongside her own, her tanned skin against Lena's pallor. She can see as well as feel the way Sam leans into her and embraces her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wow, we're cute," Sam murmurs, and it's absurd enough- this whole situation makes </span>
  <em>
    <span>no sense</span>
  </em>
  <span> - that it makes Lena laugh. Truly, utterly laugh, the type of laugh that has her body shaking and her eyes watering, and Sam starts laughing too, burying her face in the crook of Lena's cold neck and pressing a kiss to the skin there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tender touch has Lena's laughter dying down just a bit, as she makes eye contact with Sam as she brings her head up again, and there's something </span>
  <em>
    <span>different </span>
  </em>
  <span>in her expression. Lena brings a hand up to cup the far side of Sam's face, bringing her into her neck again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena watches as Sam kisses her on that bare bit of exposed skin again. She feels the hot press of her lips again, but this time she </span>
  <em>
    <span>lingers. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eyes dart over to meet Lena's in the mirror, and at the slightest quirk of an eyebrow Lena turns in Sam's arms to look at her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>What has been simmering in the back of her mind for </span>
  <em>
    <span>weeks </span>
  </em>
  <span>now comes rushing forward to overwhelm her all at once. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Is this it? The moment where they kiss. Where Lena finally gets to feel if Sam's lips are as soft as they look. On a perfectly ordinary night, when they're getting ready to go to bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She inches closer, and gets both hands on Sam's face now. Sam's skin is always so warm it almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>burns</span>
  </em>
  <span>, like feeling the radiating heat of sunlight on her vampiric skin. She presses a kiss to the palm of Lena's hand, light and quick with a cheeky little smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena runs the pad of her thumb over Sam's cheek, down to the corner of her lips. "I don't want to lose you," she breathes, and Sam's smile falters for just a moment. The admission was unintentional, and Lena regrets it as soon as it falls out for how Sam's eyes seem to fill with emotion. She closes her eyes and rests her forehead against Lena's. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm not going anywhere." Sam says, but Lena shakes her head, feeling the swelling of emotion prickle at her throat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I want to grow old with you," her voice breaks, and Sam's brow furrows, she backs up to look at Lena and cups her face with both her hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I want that too," Sam admits. She ducks her head down a bit to make eye contact with Lena once again, and Lena can't deal with the earnest look on her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She swallows down the bitter part of herself that is desperately trying to hold her heart back. She steels herself and looks up into Sam's amber eyes. "I want to kiss you," Lena says, and as Sam's pupils widen, and her lips fall open she quickly presses a finger against them, to get her to stay quiet. "I want to kiss you, and I want... I want </span>
  <em>
    <span>more </span>
  </em>
  <span>with you. I don't want to waste the time we have."  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Then why are we waiting?" Sam mumbles, Lena's finger still pressed against her lips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That question makes Lena pause. Why </span>
  <em>
    <span>are </span>
  </em>
  <span>they waiting? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They get ready for bed. It hangs in the air. A ticking clock, ticking away to </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span>, a time unknown. Sam kisses her temple in the way she often does, gentle and warm. She wraps her arms around her and her thumb rubs circles against her skin. Not even thinking of the motions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena lays with her head tucked beneath Sam's chin, and her legs dangling close to the edge of the bed. She can hear the steady </span>
  <em>
    <span>thump-thump</span>
  </em>
  <span>ing of her heart but it's </span>
  <em>
    <span>comforting </span>
  </em>
  <span>instead of appetising. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thinking back on things, maybe this is fine. These moments in the in-between. There's </span>
  <em>
    <span>time, </span>
  </em>
  <span>that stretches out ahead of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam wakes up at 4am, and pries herself from Lena to duck to the bathroom. She thinks she's fast and sneaky about it, but she wakes Lena up from her sleep, which is an entirely alien sensation for the vampire. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam weasels her way back into bed after a few moments, and curls her entire body back against Lena's. Her hands are frigid as they worm against the soft skin under Lena's shirt, and she sucks in a breath with a hiss. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sam, you're cold." Lena grumbles, and Sam chuckles before they both freeze in place. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lena... you're </span>
  <em>
    <span>warm</span>
  </em>
  <span>." </span>
</p><ol>
<li><b> Ruby.</b></li>
</ol><p>
  <span>Pancakes still make Lena just the </span>
  <em>
    <span>slightest </span>
  </em>
  <span>bit nauseous when she sees them, but she knows they're Sam's favourite food so she tries to overcome that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's seven-thirty in the morning, and they're waiting for Ruby to wake up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's... </span>
  <em>
    <span>pleasant. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Domestic. Sam's hair falls in messy waves, and her slender, tanned legs go on for miles under the tiny plaid shorts she wears. Lena wants to touch. She wants to </span>
  <em>
    <span>kiss, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and she's allowed to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she doesn't. Instead she steps up behind Sam, and slides her hands under the hem of her shirt. Sam doesn't flinch away, she only smiles, glancing down at the hands before tilting to look over her shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Still warm," Sam muses, and Lena buries her smile into the crook of Sam's neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She takes a deep breath, and hears Sam's little surprised sound at the sensation of Lena's cold nose against her skin. Not </span>
  <em>
    <span>all </span>
  </em>
  <span>of her has warmed up, apparently. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She backs off when she feels an odd ache in her jaw. Not wanting her fangs to pop out at the throb of blood in Sam's carotid artery, the drag of it down her jugular. Her fangs have never really given her notice before they slide out. Right now, it almost feels like they're... </span>
  <em>
    <span>stuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She pulls back, and hears Sam's little </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span> and sees her lips fall into a pout. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pretends to glance at the clock, as if that's the reason and- oh. "School starts at 9. If she doesn't get up soon, she'll be late." Lena adds, backing away to get a plate for Sam's pancake. "Doesn't it take half an hour without traffic?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yep," Sam says, popping the P just as the pancake ends its rotation and lands perfectly in the center of her pan. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So that's almost an hour </span>
  <em>
    <span>with </span>
  </em>
  <span>traffic," Lena raises an eyebrow at Sam's nonchalant shrug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I've had this argument with her before. She just told me that she needs nine and a half hours of sleep, and showed me an honest to god </span>
  <em>
    <span>research paper</span>
  </em>
  <span>." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena's eyebrows rise, impressed, and Sam scoffs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. Are we sure she isn't yours?" That teasing little jab gets Sam a withering glare from her girlfriend as she threatens to pull back the plate before Sam can slide her pancake onto it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's just at the brink of eight, when the stack of pancakes is completed and Sam's turning off the stove that Ruby wanders in. Hair wet, slouching, and dragging her feet and schoolbag behind her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Morning, sunshine!" Sam chirps, and at Ruby's unimpressed glance in her direction, Sam grins. "We have a question for you. Is this warm?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam drops the pan, and grabs Lena's hand, half dragging her towards Ruby. Lena doesn't quite know what's happening, and starts to pull back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby, however, is oblivious. Her half-lidded stare slides over to Sam, and she shrugs as Sam squishes Lena's hand against her cheek. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. Why?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>From there, Ruby becomes an unexpected help in the mystery that is Lena's changing physiology. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena is tasked with picking Ruby up from school one afternoon. Sam is in a late meeting (it was scheduled to start at 2, but by the time everyone from finance trickled in, it was nearing 3pm and so Lena had stepped out to ease some of the stress off her CFO's shoulders). </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's a relatively cloudy day. White clouds pass by overhead, and the sun doesn't seem to bother Lena as she stares outside the rear window. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, she's not </span>
  <em>
    <span>driving</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She has a driver for that. She did however request that they take one of the more nondescript cars, so the black Rolls stays at the garage today. The Mercedes stands out a lot less as they roll up to the school, and the driver parks right out the front. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There are a few students milling about already. Lena can't tell where Ruby is, so she makes the decision to step outside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She's at least in a blouse, so her arms are mostly covered, and she praises past-her for thinking ahead enough to bring a sunhat so that her face doesn't end up singed by the sun. Still, the heat of the sun reflects off the sidewalk and the car behind her, and her skin prickles with discomfort. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The students continue to mill about. She gets a few odd looks, but she ignores them, sliding on a pair of dark sunglasses to block out the rest of the patchy sunlight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She waits. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And waits. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sun continues to prick at her skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She feels like a worm, caught out after the rain. Stuck on the sidewalk, slowly shrivelling up in the unforgiving light of the sun. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She glances at her watch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Two minutes have passed since she arrived at the school. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The students that mill about seem to eye her and say a few snide comments to each other. She doesn't particularly care much, until she notices a boy turn to a student to say something, and he gets violently pushed back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby's hair swirls out as she swivels to look for Lena, her eyes locking onto her. In a split second, her expression goes from irritated to </span>
  <em>
    <span>elated</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and she sprints over to Lena, her backpack rocking from side to side, nearly toppling her over. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hits Lena with so much force as she throws her arms around her, that Lena would have fallen right back on her ass if it wasn't for Ruby attempting to squeeze the daylights out of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lee-e-ee-ena!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes." Lena says, and pats Ruby on the back of her head before gently trying to pry her off her, like one would a barnacle off the side of a ship. "You nearly toppled me over." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why are you here?!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Your mother's in a meeting, darling. So unfortunately, you get to spend the afternoon with me," Lena steps aside, pulling open the back seat door. Ruby clambers in, and looks a little surprised when Lena settles in beside her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She glances at the driver, and then at Lena with a little furrow in her brow that looks so much like her mother's. "Aren't you driving?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I can't get a drivers' license. I don't have a birth certificate," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh." Ruby nods, eyebrows raised, and settles into the plush leather seats at the back of the Mercedes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena is surprised to find that she doesn't mind Ruby's presence at the office all that much. She walks Ruby past the meeting room to wave hello to her mother. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sees Sam's focused face first. Her eyes all serious as she nods along to whatever the current speaker is saying. Her pen is at the corner of her lips, and her sleeves are rolled up to show off tanned and lean forearms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena tries to hold back her smile at that. Yes, her girlfriend is </span>
  <em>
    <span>attractive </span>
  </em>
  <span>when she's focused</span>
  <em>
    <span>. </span>
  </em>
  <span>No, she doesn't have to let herself get flustered over that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that empty space in her chest does seize up when Sam notices them both. Her whole face lights up in a wide smile, and she gives them both a quick little wave, the corners of her eyes wrinkling as she does so from her smile being so wide. Ruby waves back, and Lena places a hand on her shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"She's probably dying in there," she mutters to Ruby, and Ruby giggles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It looks boring! Look at all those graphs. Ew." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She steers Ruby away before they can distract Sam further. Sam mouths an exaggerated 'thank you', and Lena can only smile in response. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ruby pokes around at </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She lounges on her white leather couch and her dirty trainers hang off the armrest as she plays on her tablet under the guise of doing her homework. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena... can't really find it in herself to care all that much. It's </span>
  <em>
    <span>nice</span>
  </em>
  <span>, having some company. Ruby has a great sense of humor, she's clever, and highly opinionated. She's everything that Lena wishes she had been when she was her age. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I have a question," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena doesn't glance up from her computer screen. "Yes?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You were outside. In the sun. Waiting outside." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It was cloudy," she muses, but the thought brings her pause. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah but... you were still </span>
  <em>
    <span>outside. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Aren't you like, you know. Not able to do that? Don't you burst into flames or something?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looks back at the window behind her. The late afternoon sun streams through, orange-gold as it slips behind buildings. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She holds out a hand, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>yes</span>
  </em>
  <span>, of course these windows are glazed specifically to reduce the impact of the sun but on a day like this, she'd be at least feeling that telltale burning against her skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But- </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Nothing</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><ol>
<li><b> Backyard </b></li>
</ol><p>
  <span>She stays at Sam's for the weekend. It's a long weekend, a public holiday on Monday gives an excuse for Sam to break out the barbecue, and rather than make her way there on the Saturday night she thought she might as well go home with Sam and Ruby after that eventful Friday. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She spends more time at Sam's than at her penthouse. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She's walking into the ensuite, noticing the fact that three-quarters of the bottles in the shower are hers, when she realises that she might as well start thinking about terminating her lease. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In true Arias fashion, the weekends are </span>
  <em>
    <span>busy</span>
  </em>
  <span> and </span>
  <em>
    <span>loud</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Ruby watches TV with the volume on full as Sam tackles the unruly grass in the backyard with her lawnmower. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She makes herself a cup of herbal tea- because she can drink that now - and sits at the table, where she can watch as Sam gets progressively more disheveled and sweaty as she works. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the sound finally cuts off, Lena is three-quarters of the way finished with her cup of tea. She carries the remainder with her to the laundry as she hears the back door open, and watches Sam kick off the pair of seen-better-days boots she wears to do yard work. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She intends on just leaning in the doorway and watching Sam wash her hands, but she's drawn to the smell of sunshine and fresh cut grass. She wanders over and leaves her cup on the top of the washer, wrapping an arm around Sam's slender midsection, resting her cheek against the bare, damp skin near her shoulder blade. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She's hot against her, and she can feel Sam laugh and make a comment about smelling bad. Lena doesn't care. Sam finishes washing her hands, and closes the tap. She tilts her head to the side, and arches an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Can I move?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No." Lena says, and rests her chin on Sam's shoulder. Her scent is strongest at her neck, and she inhales deeply, letting her senses be filled with Sam. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're acting weird. Do I have to get the garlic?" It's light and teasing, and Lena gives her a withering look. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shut up," she decides to at least relax her grip the slightest bit. She regrets it instantly when Sam moves to pick up a hand towel, and wanders off to the kitchen, leaving her cold and alone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The </span>
  <em>
    <span>audacity</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, she follows. She's not </span>
  <em>
    <span>needy</span>
  </em>
  <span> but she's upset that she's being given the </span>
  <em>
    <span>least </span>
  </em>
  <span>amount of attention right now from Sam. What could possibly be more important than her? What kind of-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam fishes out a clean glass from the dishwasher, shouts at Ruby to get to emptying it, and pours herself a glass of water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena has been acting... </span>
  <em>
    <span>strange. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Stranger than usual. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rather than sitting and brooding in her corner of the couch in stolen clothes with a book in her hand, today she's restless. She doesn't stay in one spot. Half the time, she's following Sam, only barely remembering not to step out into the sunlight when Sam goes out back to fix up things for their barbecue tonight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She'd be worried. Well, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>kind of worried. But she also wonders if this isn't just the stress of the week and the </span>
  <em>
    <span>anticipation </span>
  </em>
  <span>of that-thing-they-haven't-done-yet making her all awkward and jumpy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There's no real way to tell. She needs Lena to </span>
  <em>
    <span>talk </span>
  </em>
  <span>to her, but she's afraid of asking. She doesn't want to push her too far, too fast. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luckily, she has Ruby. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey," Sam hisses to Ruby when she wanders outside, hunting for her soccer ball. Her daughter raises her eyebrows, not getting the hint until Sam gestures wildly at her, glancing back at the house. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why are we whispering?" Ruby speaks in a clear and loud voice, and Sam hisses at her to lower her voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What's up with Lena?" Sam asks, and Ruby shrugs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why would I know?" At least now she's whispering, glancing back at the house. Again, Sam rolls her eyes and taps her on the shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"She's been acting weird since Friday. Stop looking there- you can't look at someone when you're talking about them. Geez, have I taught you nothing?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Do you want me to answer that honestly or-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Forget that-" Sam snaps, and Ruby grins cheekily. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She takes a moment to ponder things, her nose wrinkles and she rubs at her chin. "I dunno. Maybe she wants to come outside?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam tilts her head, grimacing as she recalls the only one other time she's ever seen Lena's reaction to direct sunlight. "Outside?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. I mean, she was outside yesterday," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well. Sam didn't know that. Her eyes widen. Ruby scuffs at the grass with her foot, and glances back at the house. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"She's looking this way, you know." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shit," Sam hisses, standing up straighter and acting natural. Ruby grins. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Dollar for the swear jar." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam sighs, and pinches the bridge of her nose. "Okay. That's fair. I deserve that." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena pretends not to notice Sam as she heads back in. She's been sitting in the chaise that is angled towards the window as she aimlessly scrolls through emails. Sam gives her a smile, and when Lena doesn't look up she makes her way to the back of the chaise, and rests her arms on the top of it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Awww, boring. I thought I was about to catch you reading some saucy romance novels," Sam teases, and Lena turns around to stare at her incredulously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Samantha</span>
  </em>
  <span>." She gasps in mock offense, before breaking out into a smile. "You wish." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena feels Sam's hand on the top of her head, before she walks around to face her. There's an expectant look on her face as she kneels down in front of the chair, and gently lowers the tablet so that Lena's focus is on her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not like she'd been focusing at all on them anyways, since Sam had wandered over. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam's hands are still warm, as they always are. But Lena's don't feel as cold anymore. The tablet slides to rest between the side of the chaise and Lena's thigh. Sam doesn't look up at her when she speaks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I've got an idea. You don't have to do it, I know it might be dangerous. But I'm going to ask, because I think you might want to do it." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena swears the breath is taken right out of her lungs when Sam looks up, and those amber eyes are wide and gentle, her brow furrowed just a bit as she looks up at Lena. She's overcome with the urge to brush aside the strands of hair that fall gently across Sam's face, so she does, and if her finger traces against the corner of Sam's lip, well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That's just coincidence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam smiles, and leans into the softness of the palm of her hand, and asks- </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Do you want to come outside?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That is... not what she was expecting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ball bounces across the grass, and Ruby is literally </span>
  <em>
    <span>seconds </span>
  </em>
  <span>away from disaster when it careens towards their scraggly little 'veggie patch'. She saves it just in time with a dive, and scrambles to her feet when she hears the slide door opening. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turns around and plasters on a big smile, already wincing in anticipation of Sam's wrath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, she sees Lena on the threshold, eyes wide, staring out at the garden with her mom a few steps ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And as she starts to ask why, Lena takes a step into the light. </span>
</p><ol>
<li><b> Daylight</b></li>
</ol><p>
  <span>The first time Lena ever steps into the sun, it is 1892, and Lex has told her that it wouldn't be possible. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she doesn't believe him. She doesn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>want </span>
  </em>
  <span>to believe him. She resents every part of him for making her this way, and so she gets dressed and takes to the streets, her face powdered and a parasol in tow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She makes it all but three steps down from the mahogany doors of Luthor Manor before the burning begins. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's somehow </span>
  <em>
    <span>worse</span>
  </em>
  <span> than her turning. A heavy, searing pain that blooms across the surface of her skin. She barely holds in an agonising cry as she rushes back up the steps, and races to her room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lex can't hold back an "I told you so," muttered darkly under his breath as he goes back to the study. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She </span>
  <em>
    <span>burns</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It takes her about a month to truly recover. Her thirst is insatiable, she finds herself draining the blood of whatever hapless drunk fools she can find in the streets nearby after the clock strikes midnight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's a visceral fear that keeps her on the threshold of the door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's nearly noon, when the sun is at its highest. There is a thin line where the eaves stretch just beyond the doorway. The border between shadow and sunlight, between safety and the unknown. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wonders if this is what </span>
  <em>
    <span>mortality </span>
  </em>
  <span>feels like. She has never been more aware of her own until this moment. She's conscious of every breath, of that ever-present ache in her empty chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's frightening, but it's </span>
  <em>
    <span>exhilarating</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She isn't sure if she wants to run, to cower away in fear, of if she wants to laugh, or if she wants to cry from the sheer... </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything </span>
  </em>
  <span>she feels right now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She is sure if her heart could beat, she'd hear it right now, racing away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It is so small, so insignificant. She looks out at the garden, springtime makes small flowers blossom in the grass, amongst the bushes that decorate the garden. It feels </span>
  <em>
    <span>inviting</span>
  </em>
  <span>, the bright shades of green, the new life that flourishes now in the gentle sunlight. In the rich blue sky overhead, a handful fat white clouds roll slowly overhead, carried by the gentle breeze that rustles the young leaves of the oak tree in Sam's backyard. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She feels Sam's presence behind her, before she makes her way around her. Steps into the sunlight, and turns to smile at Lena, holding out a hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If this doesn't work... you can yell at me for the rest of our lives." She teases, and the laugh that bursts out of Lena at that shocks them both. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay," she sucks in a breath, and slowly reaches out to touch Sam's outstretched hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pauses with her fingers just on the edge of the shadow. She lets it hover just a bit, and if her hand trembles Sam thankfully doesn't say anything. She only waits. Her hand outstretched. A gentle smile on her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She clears the distance, and watches as her fingers move into the light, and brush against the familiar planes of Sam's hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam's touch is gentle, delicate as her thumb goes to caress the back of her hand. But what astounds Lena the most is the way that the back of her hand feels just as warm as her palm, that rests against Sam's. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's enough to bring her to tears, this </span>
  <em>
    <span>warmth</span>
  </em>
  <span> that she hadn't realised she'd missed until right now. Two hundred years in the shadows had meant that she'd forgotten what the sun felt like on her skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam takes a step back. And then another. Lena follows. She watches as the line between shadow and sun progresses further up her arm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then she feels the warmth on her cheeks, and has to close her eyes from the unfamiliar blinding light that hits her eyelids. She lets her eyes close, and she must be smiling because she feels Sam's hand against her cheek, her thumb skirting the corner of her mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam lets out a breathy laugh, as if she can't quite believe what she's seeing. Lena can't quite believe what's happening either. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The logical side of her feels her fingers itch for a notepad and pen to write this all down, to write every observation, every sensation. To commit it to memory so that she can analyse why, </span>
  <em>
    <span>how</span>
  </em>
  <span>... </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the space where her heart would beat tells her to open her eyes, and just </span>
  <em>
    <span>be</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looks up at Sam's face, at the expression of unbridled joy and wonder and amazement, and before she can open her mouth to speak she's nearly tackled by Ruby in one of her crushing hugs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She laughs, and pats the back of her head as Sam's arms come around to embrace them both, and if a few tears slip down her face, glinting in the sunlight, neither of them say anything. </span>
</p><ol>
<li><b> Strawberry red</b></li>
</ol><p>
  <span>She spends </span>
  <em>
    <span>all </span>
  </em>
  <span>afternoon outside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They go to a park for lunch, Sam packs a picnic. Ruby drags Lena along, but Lena can't help but want to stop and look at </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Dappled sunlight streams through the leaves of the old trees in the park, she's amazed to see how the light illuminates them from behind, a delicate new green against the blue of the sky. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam carries everything to a spot partially in the shade (after all, they don't want to overdo it). Ruby has her soccer ball, and plays in the wide open grass area while Lena and Sam watch from their picnic mat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There's a lot of food in that basket. Mostly for Sam, sandwiches and snacks, fruits and one of Lena's green juices in a bottle that she'd left in the fridge so it stays cool. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena is drawn to a strawberry, and she notices how Sam's eyes follow her when she plucks one from the punnet, it's plump and the bright red colour draws her attention. She sinks her teeth into the tip of it, and the tartness of it bursts against her tongue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam licks her lips, and smiles at her. In the sunlight, the lighter streaks in her hair are more noticeable, as is the honey brown of her eyes. She doesn't know why she's drawn Sam's entire attention until Sam glances down at her lips, then away to the field where Ruby is kicking the soccer ball around. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She lounges, her hand now plucks at a loose thread on the picnic mat beneath her. Nervous perhaps? Lena can't fathom why. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then Lena remembers the half strawberry in her hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't worry, darling. I don't think this will be like the pancakes," Lena tries to comfort her, resting a hand on the sun-warmed skin of Sam's arm. "I don't hold that against you. We really didn't know." She pops the rest into her mouth, and notices how Sam's eyes follow the motion before she starts to smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then she laughs, tosses her head back and grins before shaking her head, amusement in her eyes. "It's not that. That's the furthest thing from my mind right now." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena swallows, tilts her head to the side and asks "Then what are you-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Can I kiss you?" Sam's eyes are serious, slightly strained - from the sunlight or from putting herself out there, Lena isn't sure. But she stares at Lena, her eyes flickering back and forth between Lena's like she's... </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Nervous. </span>
  </em>
  <span>More nervous than the first time she asked, when they weren't sure if it was possible. Back on that park bench during a lunch break, and Sam had been beautiful when she chuckled and laughed and even as she ate that sandwich and Lena had wondered if this was what </span>
  <em>
    <span>it </span>
  </em>
  <span>was meant to feel like. If </span>
  <em>
    <span>it </span>
  </em>
  <span>was meant to be so imperfect and confusing yet </span>
  <em>
    <span>profound </span>
  </em>
  <span>in spaces that would usually be unremarkable. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena reaches out, and brushes Sam's cheek with her thumb. She lets her hand wander down to her slender neck, where she feels the pounding of Sam's pulse just beneath soft skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Darling</span>
  </em>
  <span>," Lena's voice is down to a murmur as she closes the space between them. "Of </span>
  <em>
    <span>course </span>
  </em>
  <span>you can." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's </span>
  <em>
    <span>gentle</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam knows it's pretty obvious that she's been thinking about this for a while now. For a </span>
  <em>
    <span>long </span>
  </em>
  <span>while. But her idea of what kissing Lena would feel like had always been </span>
  <em>
    <span>different. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Completely different. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She expected Lena's lips to be rigid. For her skin to feel frigid under her palms. For this to be under the cover of night, or in the office after hours with Lena's hair and makeup and outfit impeccable, not one strand, stroke, or thread out of place. She expected for it to feel like kissing a marble statue of a goddess. That mineral taste to be present on her tongue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She never expected </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kissing Lena is... </span>
  <em>
    <span>soft</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Her lips are pliable, and fall open at the drag of her tongue. There's a gentle warmth in her, her skin is </span>
  <em>
    <span>cool </span>
  </em>
  <span>but not cold, not anymore. Like perhaps she'd just come in from a walk during winter, and had just brushed the snow from her coat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The taste of fresh strawberries lingers on her tongue, on her lips, that sour-sweet mix of ripened fruit and something different, something uniquely </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lena</span>
  </em>
  <span>. One hand rests gentle on Sam's neck, the other moves to brush against the arm propping her up as Lena moves firmly into her space, pushing her back against the picnic mat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena pauses when Sam lands with a huff on her back, staring up at her with a teasing grin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you sure kissing you isn't fatal?" She asks, and Lena's face wells up with concern. Sam quickly finishes her sentence before she can feel bad- "'cause I swear I'm seeing an angel right now." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>To say Lena's face screamed </span>
  <em>
    <span>unimpressed </span>
  </em>
  <span>would be an understatement. Sam grins, as Lena glowers down at her. "Oh shut up," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam bursts into laughter, and as she catches her breath she breathes- "You know you love me." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's only meant to be a passing comment, but Lena's expression grows </span>
  <em>
    <span>tender</span>
  </em>
  <span> for the briefest moment, and Sam is about to point it out-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then she feels the ground tremble as a soccer ball bounces towards them, and Ruby races towards them, shouting and hollering. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Stop that, it's so gross. I mean, yay finally, but also ew. Lena, stop kissing my mom." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam's expression twists, and she props herself up on her arms to yell back at Ruby- "We're not even kissing now!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But you </span>
  <em>
    <span>were</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I saw it." Ruby accuses, pointing at Sam with a wicked grin on her face, before she starts to teasingly sing. "You and Lena sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Finish that song and you'll be G-R-O-U-N-D-E-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes, we were kissing." Lena adds, before Sam can finish her counter-taunt. She looks at Lena incredulously, and Lena would almost feel bad for letting Ruby know, but really it's blatantly obvious. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena discreetly gestures to Sam's lips, and when Sam wipes at her mouth with the back of her hand, it comes back red with Lena's lipstick. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby wants a milkshake, so they find a place not too far from the waterfront. The sun is steadily dipping down further as time goes on, the long shadows of the afternoon give Lena's skin a gentle reprieve. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam's hand holds hers tight as they walk. Ruby walks alongside them, only darting forwards when they decide on a nice enough cafe right by the water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's one of those places that has been there for a while, gone through a few renovations during its time. Sam chooses a table inside, but Lena suggests they sit on the balcony outside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I hope you don't get a sunburn," Sam muses, and Lena rolls her eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't burn in the sun anymore." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, Lena. Not-" Sam's nose wrinkles, and she shakes her head. "You know you're still pale, and pale people get sunburns." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena gives a noncommittal shrug, waving down the wait staff. "Maybe I'll tan," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam's raised-eyebrow stare is enough to let Lena know that Sam doesn't believe she will. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There's a beautiful view of the bay, of the bridge that crosses it. Ruby points out a cargo ship as it enters port. Sam rests her elbow on the table as she reads the menu. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena is content. </span>
</p><ol>
<li><b> Business</b></li>
</ol><p>
  <span>They don't talk about how they did most things out of order. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam gets to kiss Lena now, but Lena has a trip to Metropolis to deal with something that doesn't require the CFO. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That should feel unusual, but Sam trusts her enough to believe her. She trusts her when she says it will be a week, and enjoys the long, trailing kisses that come after that revelation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It feels like Lena's already trying to make up for lost time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam still offers to drive her to the airport for her midday flight, and kisses her in the drop-off lane in front of the terminal for so long that they get honked by an impatient Uber driver behind them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It kind of sucks. They </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>took that step towards a different kind of intimacy, but life being what it was threw a spanner in the works just as Sam got what she wanted. She tries not to sulk, she really tries, but it's all of two days into Lena's five-day trip, and Ruby's already impatient to have Lena back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"My game is on Saturday, and the festival is on Sunday. I want her to be there," is the excuse Ruby gives, but Sam knows she's grown just as accustomed to having the vampire around as she has. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam's acting CEO for the week. It's something she never really enjoys doing, since many people seem to think that without Lena around, they can get away with things that Lena wouldn't usually let slide. It keeps her busy though, which keeps her from moping. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena sends her emails during the day. '</span>
  <em>
    <span>Remember to take a break, you get snappy when you're stressed. x L'</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
  <em>
    <span>'Ruby might not have told you, but that science project is due on Thursday. Her model should be done printing by tomorrow, the lab key is on my desk. x L'. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It's not the same. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her days are busy, and her afternoons are too. She's working a little later one evening, Ruby's at a friend's house. She's trying to focus, and her mind is elsewhere long before she notices the stream of black smoke slithering underneath her office door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't see what's special about you." A disembodied voice says. It seems to be coming from the smoke. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It shows a lot how what would have probably sent her into a frenzy of Our Father's can barely get her to look up from her computer nowadays. Sam closes her work, logs off from the computer. Rests her elbows on the table, and arches an eyebrow at the smoke. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena's demon friend materialises from the smoke, stalking forwards and resting her hands on the opposite side of the desk. She leans forward, and Sam can't help but notice that her eyes are an almost unnatural shade of blue. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She might be just the </span>
  <em>
    <span>slightest </span>
  </em>
  <span>bit intimidated, but Sam's no coward. She tilts her chin up, and gives Andrea a tight-lipped smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Can I help you?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I want to know what you did. Are you a mage of some sort? A witch? There has to be some reason why Lena's </span>
  <em>
    <span>changing</span>
  </em>
  <span>." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh. So that's what it's about. Sam swallows thickly - that's not a good sign, that even Lena's supernatural best friend has no idea what's going on with her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"She's never even been able to stick her nose out into direct sunlight. You had her out there for an entire </span>
  <em>
    <span>weekend</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She wouldn't shut up about the picnic in the park." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam shrugs. "I honestly have no idea, I'm just a norma-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound of Andrea's fist colliding with the desk sounds like a thunderclap, that sends Sam reeling back in her chair in fear. Her fear triples as Andrea's eyes emit an otherworldly glow for a moment, and she bears her teeth with a ferocious growl, smoke coiling around her- </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam loses consciousness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>- </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam wakes up an indeterminate amount of time later in Lena's penthouse. She's on the couch, and as she sits up the blanket that had been delicately tucked beneath her chin falls down to her waist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She glances around. It's late, so the room is mostly dark. She doesn't see anyone at first, but her eyes spot motion in the kitchen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena sits at the kitchen counter. Watching her. There's a suitcase next to her and she still wears her coat, like she just arrived. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How'd you get here so fast?" Sam mumbles, and the sound of her voice gets Lena up and moving across the space. She kneels next to Sam, and Sam's heart skips a beat at the worried look in those intimately familiar green eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Andrea." Lena says, as if that's meant to explain anything. She keeps her voice low, and gently brushes a few strands of hair stuck to Sam's clammy skin. "She's sorry, by the way. She didn't think you'd pass out."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"She was trying to intimidate me. It worked." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena purses her lips, and sighs. "She's overprotective. She thinks..." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why are you with me?" Sam interrupts, and Lena freezes, her brow furrowed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why wouldn't I be?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're two hundred years old. I'm nearly thirty. You're a rich and powerful vampire. I'm </span>
  <em>
    <span>ordinary</span>
  </em>
  <span>." Sam begins to ramble, and as Lena shakes her head and tries to interrupt, Sam holds up a hand. "No. This is bothering me, I... I try to understand I really do, but don't you want someone who </span>
  <em>
    <span>gets</span>
  </em>
  <span> it? Who understands what it's like to be a vampire, who understands what's happening to you?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena sighs deeply, glancing down for a moment before she stands up. Sam feels the cold of her absence, and watches as she goes to her suitcase, rifling through it for a while before she comes back with something rectangular wrapped in leather. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam moves to sit up properly, and Lena sits next to her, resting what Sam can now see is a book on her lap. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"This is why I went to Metropolis." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There's a short little sting in Sam's chest at the fact that it </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn't </span>
  </em>
  <span>a business trip, but when Lena looks at her with eyes already filled with apology, she decides to let it go. Lena treats the old book gently, unravelling the cord around it before gingerly opening it to the first page. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lex always numbered his journals. I had been missing the eighty-third, but I finally got a hold of it." Lena murmurs, as if speaking too loudly would disturb the ghosts trapped within the pages. "A university library had it," she says with a wry chuckle. "None of them could decode the cipher, so they'd posted a page of it on their twitter as a challenge." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Did you win the challenge?" Sam asks, and realises it's a silly question when Lena looks up at her with an incredulous eyebrow raise. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The page they posted was this," Lena turns to a page in the middle of the book. The cipher looks like random shapes to Sam, but there's something there that makes Lena's eyes well up with emotion. She drags her finger beneath one line of symbols. "It's about our father. About Lionel, and my... and my mother. My real mother." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Was Lionel a vampire too?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He was," Lena says, and the emphasis on the word </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>isn't lost on Sam. She looks at Lena, confused, and Lena shakes her head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I never understood why he left us. He was several hundred years into a marriage with mothe- with </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lillian</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and you'd think by that point you'd be certain that they were meant to be together. But then he went to Ireland, and he met my mother. I'd always thought that it was just a fling, and that I was already on my way to becoming a vampire when I was younger. That wasn't the case. I was born... </span>
  <em>
    <span>ordinary</span>
  </em>
  <span>." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And then Lex turned you. So they posted this on twitter?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's not what drew my attention. I know that part of the story- that is what I was told. That is what I went through. I thought my father died from hunters, since Lex had always told me stories about how the hunters would stop at nothing to get rid of us all. But that was all him, </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>hired the hunters to go after my father, and then later he would do the same to me. That's beside the point though-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena looks at Sam, and then draws her attention to a part of the cipher. Sam still can't make any sense of it all. She rests her hand on Lena's thigh to comfort her, and nods as if she gets it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"My father was never attacked by a hunter. He died a day after my mother did." When Sam doesn't seem to get it, Lena shifts closer, and for some reason a smile starts to grow on her face. "Sam, </span>
  <em>
    <span>he died. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Vampires don't just... </span>
  <em>
    <span>die </span>
  </em>
  <span>of old age." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam is still confused. She tries to nod as if she's getting it, but Lena can sense that something isn't clicking. She closes her eyes tight, and lets out a big sigh, opening them again to look at Sam's baffled expression yet again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"There was something about my mother that brought him back to life. Lex writes it here, 'for a few short years, as fleeting as a minute in the life of an immortal, this inconsequential human woman brought him such immense joy that he did not dare fathom a day without her. For those few short years, my father breathed, walked, ate as a human. Walked along the shores of cold oceans in the daytime with his new beloved-'" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The realisation dawns on Sam, and she reels back in surprise, eyes meeting Lena's. </span>
</p><ol>
<li><b> Festival </b></li>
</ol><p>
  <span>The festival is in the evening, but Ruby is excited from the moment she wakes up. Their morning is rather eventful, there is an expensive looking gift hamper on the doorstep that seem to have been delivered overnight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She'd assume they were from Lena, but they can't have been, as the vampire is in her kitchen right now helping Ruby make french toast for breakfast. The card inside has only two words, </span>
  <em>
    <span>'I'm sorry'</span>
  </em>
  <span>, written in cursive. On the back, the Catco logo. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She brings them inside, and Lena rolls her eyes with a scoff. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Andrea's outdone herself this time. What's in it?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby's interest is piqued by the mystery free stuff, and Sam gently bats her hand away when she goes for the ribbon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It looks like... bath stuff? Lotions and perfumes. And chocolates. Is this what she thinks I'm into? Is she trying to romance me?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena's expression darkens, and she picks up the card. Her jealousy seems to simmer out when she notices the apology, and she laughs. "Andrea's never been good at apologies. This is definitely something that she had an assistant buy." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Could have at least dropped in a bottle of scotch or something." Sam teases, and finally opens the hamper to get at the chocolates. "But these will do fine." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lena!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She's not expecting the cry of her name. She turns around, Sam's hand still in her own and is greeted by the smiling face of her best friend Kara. She's saved from a hug by the fact that she's got both arms filled with prizes, a fluffy cloud of candy floss in one hand, and a soda in the other hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Kara," Lena smiles in greeting, and curls her hand tighter around Sam's, bringing her forward just a bit. "You remember my girlfriend-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes! Sam. Did you get to see the food trucks?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena can see the surprise across Sam's face, followed by a warm smile. She wishes she could get Sam to realise that she wasn't as forgettable as she sometimes thought. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"My daughter's at one of them now. I wanted to get some Dutch pancakes for Lena to try." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kara's eyebrows raise at that, and she looks at Lena expecting an explanation. Lena just mouths 'long story' with an apologetic smile, and Kara nods discreetly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, that's great!" Kara swings back and forth on her heels, and glances at a rather handsome man in a pressed shirt as he walks over with several trays of food. Lena assumes this must be the date-that-isn't-a-date, and gives Kara a cheeky grin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't break his heart, Kara." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If he gets the wrong idea, then that's on him. I'm just here for the food." Kara shoots back with a grin, before wiggling her fingers around the cup of soda in some semblance of a wave. "Catch you later!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The festival is a joyful assault on the senses, bright colours and flashing lights, the sounds of music and voices and carnival games and people, the smells of cuisines from around the world at different food trucks. When Ruby jogs over with the small, puffy pancakes on a tiny plate, Lena's surprised to find that they taste delicious and seem to go down without an issue this time around. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam's incredulous little smile speaks volumes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finding out the truth about her parents has changed the way Lena thinks about their relationship. It was always profound, but now there's something </span>
  <em>
    <span>deeper</span>
  </em>
  <span>, now that they know that Sam is the catalyst for Lena's metamorphosis. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They gather on the pier just before the fireworks are scheduled to start. There’s a palpable excitement in the crowd gathered around them, a restlessness as everyone strains to watch the sky. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They find a spot to sit, Sam beside Lena. Ruby throws herself onto the ground with a huff, pulling out her phone and scrolling through her camera roll. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s been a perfect night - a perfect </span>
  <em>
    <span>year</span>
  </em>
  <span>, really, and Lena knows it’s all because of the woman beside her. The woman who is still clutching the cheap stuffed puppy that Ruby won in the ring toss in one arm, like one would cradle a baby. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Do you believe in soulmates?" Lena asks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam turns to look at her. "I didn't before, no." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But you do now?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is there any better way to describe us?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're both so lame." Ruby drawls, wrapping her arms around Lena's waist. Lena laughs, patting the top of Ruby's head and leaning into the hug. She's tired, almost entirely slouched against her. "Stop being so sappy." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Never," Lena replies, refusing to acknowledge Ruby's narrow-eyed glower. "I'm not going anywhere." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby's eyes fill with hope, and she squeezes Lena tighter, hiding her face but Lena can feel her smiling. As she runs her hand over the back of Ruby's head, smoothing down her wild hair she feels Sam's gaze on her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's only for a moment. Sam hides her emotions rather quickly, blinking and turning her attention to the sky as the fireworks begin. But for a split second, Lena sees the same expression in Sam's eyes that she did in Ruby's. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That almost childlike </span>
  <em>
    <span>hope</span>
  </em>
  <span>. That vulnerability. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena reaches out with her free hand, and seeks out Sam's. Sam doesn't turn to look at her, but tangles their fingers together and squeezes her hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They watch the fireworks. </span>
</p><ol>
<li><b> Mortality</b></li>
</ol><p>
  <span>Nobody has changed her life as much as Sam has. Literally, of course, but also... there are differences that stretch beyond the physical. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her new favourite season is spring, the windswept cloudless days, warm sun and green grass. The flowers (weeds) that dot the lawn that make Sam roll her eyes and sigh. She wishes she could spend an eternity in the warmth of the springtime sun, listening to birdsong, watching bumblebees wander from flower to flower. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But they find out that she does burn. Not in the vampiric sense, but like a pale-skinned human would. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She realises that she's all but left her apartment untouched for the better part of a month at one point. She considers terminating her lease at the end of the next cycle, but decides to keep that as a decision to discuss later. She's not exactly running out of money any time soon, and Sam... </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam is </span>
  <em>
    <span>patient</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and they are taking things slow, and it's a blessing and a curse at once. She finds that she likes the pace, likes the easy comfort that comes with knowing that they have </span>
  <em>
    <span>time</span>
  </em>
  <span>. But they also don't have a lot of it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's chaotic. It's the kind of thing that keeps her awake, and the one thing she misses about her vampirism is being able to still function properly after laying awake all night. Now she wakes up with a clouded mind and slow-moving muscles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's that kind of sleeplessness that has her inviting Sam over to her penthouse one night, rather than going over to Sam's when Ruby is out of the house for a night. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's late, the sun has long set and the sky above the city is ink-black. The penthouse affords a nice view of the city lit up beneath her, still thrumming with energy and activity and </span>
  <em>
    <span>life</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This is the time that she used to be most comfortable with herself. She'd wander the streets around this time, perhaps with Andrea by her side. Go for drinks, and get a drink herself. Perhaps even find something else to pique her fancy, a warm body to accompany her to bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now she stands in her living room, dressed down in a silk negligee after a long bath that was intended to help her destress, but instead it has just made her feel all the more... </span>
  <em>
    <span>nervous. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She's untied her hair from the tight bun she'd held it in all day, and she has a glass of wine- not blood, but actual wine. A decent vintage shiraz, its taste coats her tongue and there's a similarity between the sourness of the tannins that hit her tongue and the familiar metallic edge to blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wonders if she should dress up a bit more for Sam's visit. She's already prepared food- or well, bought food and plated it, in case Sam hasn't yet eaten. The choice is taken from her though when after a few moments she hears the elevator doors slide open. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena turns, and locks eyes with Sam. She's confused at first, because Sam doesn't seem to move. She stands there with her bag in one hand, blazer draped over her arm. The sleeves of her pressed white button up rolled up like they almost always are. Her eyes are wide, and Lena sees her throat bob as she swallows thickly- </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then the elevator doors begin to close on her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam's hasty little jump forwards has Lena stifling a laugh, she pads forwards to place her wine glass on the kitchen counter before making her way to Sam, directing her to place her blazer and bag by the hall stand. She's taller with her heels on, Lena feels like she towers over her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rests a hand just by Sam's collarbone, feels her heart pounding, reverberating through her chest. That catches her by surprise, but she isn't entirely unfamiliar with </span>
  <em>
    <span>attraction</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's just... unexpected, coming from Sam. The number one advocate of taking things slow. To see that unabashed lust swimming in her eyes as her gaze wanders all over, her hands eventually moving to settle heavy on her hips, sliding over silk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey there," Sam murmurs, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh</span>
  </em>
  <span> her voice is low and rich and </span>
  <em>
    <span>husky </span>
  </em>
  <span>with want. She tries to keep it under wraps, but Lena can feel her gently pulling Lena closer by the hips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hello," Lena replies, a smile colouring her voice. She lifts up on her toes and meets Sam's lips with her own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam gasps into it, presses forward with a hunger, a desperation, and oh it's simple from there. Sam's hands are steady, but her fingers twitch to get at Lena's bare skin, which feels like it's burning even before Sam gets her hands on her. Sam's mouth is warm and wet and her breathy gasps are like music to Lena's ears. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena guides Sam to the sofa and pushes her down. Sam's back hits the sofa and her breath leaves her in a huff. She's dishevelled, her hair splayed around her face, a few buttons already loose, her shirt untucked, and a stiletto hanging from one foot that rests on an armrest. Kiss-drunk and </span>
  <em>
    <span>smiling- </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sam is always smiling and it's gorgeous and </span>
  <em>
    <span>tender</span>
  </em>
  <span>- </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Your couch is very comfortable, but can we..." Sam pushes herself up onto her elbows and glances over the back of the sofa, in the direction of the bedroom, then back to Lena. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam lays Lena down onto her bed like she's something delicate, something precious. She helps her get undressed with a reverence that feels almost out of place in the bedroom, given what they're about to do. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's imperfect at first, of course. It always is, with someone new. But Sam is </span>
  <em>
    <span>patient</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and Sam takes her time, Sam </span>
  <em>
    <span>learns </span>
  </em>
  <span>her like it was what she was placed on this earth to do and Lena loves every single millisecond of her attention on places that have been anticipating this moment for </span>
  <em>
    <span>months. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>But it's... fitting. In its own way, that Sam would find a way to make something so carnal feel like a revelation in and of itself. Lena's hands curl into the bedsheets and she arches her head back and cries out to the heavens and she feels Sam's hand work its way into one of her own, prying her grip from the bedsheets and offering her hand instead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena doesn't want to be first, so she has Sam beneath her and feels the sting of blunt nails digging into her back, feels the heat of her body against her own as she arches up into her fingers, her pounding pulse beneath her lips as she drags her lips against her neck, leaving imperfect kisses on the skin she can reach. When Sam comes it's with a choked gasp and a full-body shudder, pulling Lena even closer to her as if she's the only thing keeping her from shaking apart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It won't take long for Lena, not after seeing </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Sam takes a moment to catch her breath, but grinds her thigh against Lena with a knowing smirk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then she gets her mouth on Lena again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time, it's different. Of course it is, because she's </span>
  <em>
    <span>close</span>
  </em>
  <span>, there's something building in that hollow cavity of her chest. It grows tighter as Sam works her towards an orgasm and she reaches out a hand, patting the bed to try and find where Sam's hand is, holds it tight as she nears the precipice and that pressure in her chest continues to build, her muscles tightening as her ribs expand and contract with every ragged breath, until her breath hitches at a point and she gasps, arching her back, squeezing Sam's hand hard enough for her to let out a little wince of pain- </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It rushes over her and she feels like she's been pummeled by a wave, suddenly submerged in an ocean of endorphins and sensation. She's staring up at Sam from the deep as she crawls up her body, she's intimately aware of every point where her skin presses up against her own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam's still catching her breath, but she takes a moment to run her hand across Lena's cheek, swiping away some strands of dark hair that had stuck to her face. She cups Lena's jaw, and her thumb rubs circles against her cheekbone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She says nothing, but her eyes speak volumes. There's something that Lena will never get tired of seeing, a </span>
  <em>
    <span>look</span>
  </em>
  <span> in Sam's eyes, that gentle tenderness, that look that says '</span>
  <em>
    <span>oh there you are, I can see you now</span>
  </em>
  <span>.' </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You've ruined me," Lena breathes, and Sam laughs, resting her forehead against Lena's briefly before backing up to kiss the tip of her nose. It's such an absurd action, and Lena still feels delirious with sensation - she laughs, and presses her clammy hands on the sides of Sam's face, drags her in for a proper kiss. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then Lena inhales deep, and- </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She feels something. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She's so lost in this, in the warmth that reaches down from the center of her body all the way to her fingertips, lost in Sam's slow and lazy kiss- that she barely notices it at first. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But then- </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>One. Then two. Frail, fickle, like the weak flaps of a newly emerged butterfly's wings. She pulls from Sam's lips from a gasp, and as Sam stares at her wide-eyed expression with confusion, Lena grabs her hand and presses it against her chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam almost, </span>
  <em>
    <span>almost</span>
  </em>
  <span>, misinterprets, her hand makes to move lower until she freezes in place, fingers splayed against pale skin, the palm of her hand warm against Lena's chest-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A thump. Another. Against the palm of Sam's hand. A beat, a pulse, a </span>
  <em>
    <span>heartbeat </span>
  </em>
  <span>that grows and strengthens, irregular and weak until it isn't, until it's pounding against her chest, until Lena can hear it in her ears and Sam laughs until she cries, pressing salt-tinged kisses to Lena's lips, and she's murmuring something over and over like a litany, like a chant, and Lena can't make out what it says until she focuses and hears it- "I love you, I love you-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Sam</span>
  </em>
  <span>-" Lena breathes, and holds her still, wiping the tears from her eyes. Her heart beats strong in her chest, and she rests her forehead against Sam's. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She says it back. </span>
</p><ol>
<li><b> Memories </b></li>
</ol><p>
  <span>Polaroid cameras are back in fashion apparently, and Ruby gets one for her birthday. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We can take a family photo every year." Ruby announces proudly, after snapping a photo of them in the hallway mirror. "To see how long it takes until I'm taller than Lena." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'll give it two, maybe three years." Sam teases, and Lena levels her with a glower that fades when Ruby pulls the still-developing photo out of the dark corner she'd hidden it in, and thrusts it into Lena's hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You can keep this one. I think I still have to work on getting the settings right, you look a like a ghost." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lena expects to see a blank space between Ruby and Sam, but- no. There she is, standing with her eyes closed like an idiot who has never had her picture taken. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because she is an idiot who has never had her picture taken. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby sees her blank staring and cranes her neck so she can see the picture. "Oh, that's alright. We can take another one." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam gives Lena a knowing look, and rests a hand on her shoulder. "We've got a lifetime to figure out your angles, babe. This isn't the end of the world." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A </span>
  <em>
    <span>lifetime</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That doesn't sound so bad. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>big thanks to gaydisasterdanvers for hyping up the brain cell and polarkai for giving me one compliment </p><p>please comment. i love u</p></blockquote></div></div>
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